The Gallivanting Files: Exploring Clermont

Sooo... Tuesday I was suppose to go downtown and traipse around with my camera all big hair and nice outfit and such.

However,  Mr. Lamar threw a monkey-wrench into the plan by asking me to help get his car to the dealer.  (It's not broken, they did a recall or something so he needed to take it in to get the part changed.)  So I rolled out of the bed at like 6:30am, chucked some pants and a sweatshirt on and went on to drive to his school... like 30 mins away in clermont...  Needless to say, I wasn't about to drive all the way back to the house and then all the way into orlando. So instead, I spent the day exploring clermont.  I walked around for a couple hours in historic downtown, wondering about in a few antique/vintage shops and the local bakery (where I bought a couple cupcakes to surprise Lamar with ^.^) Then I walked down along Lake Minneola.

Of course I found like 3 thrift stores in the area and got a couple things I've been needing, so they were good trips. I snagged these things:

• blue sundress (currently being shortened and altered)
• leopard print sundress (also being shortened and altered)
• a forest green skirt
• 2 books about stress management and relaxation
• 2 vintage handkerchiefs
• 2 pairs of black church shoes (my favorite ones finally bit the dust last week... it was a sad day)
• 2.5 yards of floral fabric (for circle skirt making!)
• a pack of knitting pattern cards (I WILL LEARN TO KNIT!!)
• a photo album
• a green brooch

(Thrifty winning!)

After Lamar got off work, we picked up his car and then went on to Lake Eola in orlando.  It was really nice walking around the lake together.  The last time we did that was the first time I came down to FL. 

So now, prepare yourself for the photo dump ^.^

Lake Minneola- Such a frickin beautiful day!

Lake Minneola- I wanted to find somewhere to put my feet in, but couldn't... maybe next time.

Random pretty flowers along the sidewalk :)

More flowers- I love the bright colors!

I told Lamar I want to do pictures in this grove of trees.  It's like the gateway to another world in there!

This has to be THE most FABULOUS turtle EVER!  He's balancing on a root with all 4 feet in the air... talent.

We're definitely going to take some photos here.  This is down by Lake Eola.  That's Lamar's cool pose. :) *chuckle*

Not So Blue Monday #23- I'm Alive & Being a Photographer ^.^

Hi Hi Hi!!!

I have been on serious blogger ghost mode lately and I'm sorry! I blame my absence on JC Penney...  It's stressful in that I'm-learning-new-things-and-loving-it kinda way, but I find that I forget to think of things to write about.  Like in my sucky jobs, thinking of blog subjects was what I was doing to keep from bashing my head on the desk *chuckle*.  Today I did 2 sittings alone and felt really good about the photos I shot.  (My first solo sitting was last week and I wanted to drown myself in the toilet, but I'm not going to think about it anymore, lol.)  It's a little unnerving jumping back behind the camera after being out for... years... I need to get my confidence up man!  Anyway, I was so excited after today that I treated myself to a Panera Bread brownie & a frosty from Wendy's.  Yum!

Umm... what else...

The studio is closed on Tuesdays, so tomorrow I think I'm going to take my camera out and about.  Maybe scout out some engagement photo settings since Lamar & I have yet to take any!  We're slackers... yes I know.  -_-  There are a bunch of awesome lakes in the central Florida area & I'm thinking of finding my way down to Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.  I'm actually getting excited about this prospective trip, lol. Already planning clothes and hair.  I think tomorrow is going to be a big hair day...  ^.^

Anywho!  I can't think of much else to write about... Oh! Something a little random- I recently bought a matte nail polish top coat and really like it.  It really gives my regular colors a new life.  If you haven't tried it, you should.  It's pretty cool & you can get the top coat from walmart for like $2.

That's about it for today.  Expect a photo-adventure post soon.  I hope you had a great Monday, and you week goes well!

~Peace

Ps. The sky was ablaze this evening. It was beautiful!

Wedding Sundays #1: We Have Colors!

Picking our wedding colors was pretty fun.  Lamar & I knew we wanted spring green in the scheme somewhere, but other than that we were an open book.  In comes good ol' Google! I searched "summer wedding color schemes with green" and after a.lot.of.scrolling. through the images, Lamar spotted this picture:

via

He immediately liked it.  So we went with the navy and spring green as our first colors.  Then we added in a pastel yellow and a bright yellow for accents.  After a couple days we sorta flipped it around and now the navy is moreso the accent color with the yellows and green as the main colors.

One of my favorite parts of choosing colors was the fact that it gave me an excuse to traipse off to Wal-mart and get ALL the paint chips!  (crafter happy dance moment)  All de colors!!!!!  Not only did I get the paint chips in our colors... I also used my heart shaped paper punch to cut them into a bazillion hearts *.* 

I know... I totally had a compulsive craft moment. What can I say?  I made this:

 Ta-Da! Wedding color paint chip crafty bits! Yaaaaay!  So yeah, those are our colors :)

Not So Blue Monday #22: Scout's Honor!

So... today was a very productive Monday! ^.^

Outside of working from 3-7 at the studio, this was totally a WEDDING STUFF DAY!!!  ::happy dance:: Now, the reason I called this post "Scout's Honor" is because:

I promise not to let my blog become a wedding detail dumping ground. I will maintain (get back on the ball with) my regular posts.  I will not spam you with super long posts about what flowers we're thinking about or the shoes tried on.  Scout's Honor.

That being said, I don't think I'm going to have a consistent wedding post.  But maybe I will. *shrug*  It all depends on if I have cool things to talk about.

Today was super productive.  I set up try-on appointments at a couple shops for tomorrow and bought a couple magazines. Awesome. 

I mosied around David's Bridal after setting my appointment to look through the dresses and write down style numbers.  One of the consultants, looked at me and said, "I love a prepared bride!"  Woot! lol

I got home, showed Lamar my 'haul' and we spent a while flipping through the mags and inspecting the contents of the DB goodie bag.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

In regular Caleisha news today, like I mentioned earlier, I worked from 3pm to close at the studio.  I'm trying to master the product knowledge and sales part of the job.  They have totally been throwing me to the wolves over the last few shifts, but it's all good. It forces me to learn.  I'm just hoping they train me on the camera room soon. I'm itching to get back behind the camera ^.^  I can't wait to start seeing photos everywhere... good ol' photographer eye lol.

The work is tiring and my throat is tight by the end of a shift from all the talking.  Sometimes I realize that I'm holding my breath or breathing really shallowly.  But I'm really loving it.  Weird right?  All the stress responses that came with hating my old jobs are brushed aside when it's with a job I'm super in to.  ^.^   

Thanks Jesus... I needed this! 

Ok... it's super late now.  It's actually past 1am.  So this is yet another Not So Blue Monday on a Tuesday *shrug* who cares??  I need to rehash my theme posts.  What should I write about?  Let me know. Thanks!  Good night

Blog Design Update - In Progress!

As I'm sure you've already noticed, I did some revamping on my little blog here ^.^  I'm rather excited about it too.  I don't think that I'm finished with all the changes.  There's a story behind the color choices, but I'll go into that later ;-)  What do you think?  Is the font ok? What about the size of the sidebar graphics?

Please leave me feedback so I can make my blog more appealing! :-)

Have a great weekend!

Not So Blue Monday #21: Quick Life Update!

Hi!!

I just wanted to write up this quick life update. In a few hours, I'll be in training for my...

NEW JOB!

Huzzah!!!  Yep. ^.^ I got a job as a photographer at JC Penney.  So yeah, the pressure of being totally unemployed is no longer on my shoulders.  Praise God!

While I'm praising about this job, let me tell you about getting it.

The JC Penney portrait studio was one of the first places I went looking for work.  I spoke with the manager who told me that she was about to start hiring within the next few days.  So I filled out the application and returned the next day with my photography portfolio.  She was really impressed and had me sign up for the background check that same day.  I left with the expectation that I'd get the background check link emailed to me within a couple days and then a call when the studio received the check back.

I'd been checking my email every day looking for the message, but after a week of wondering where it was, I received an email saying, "We see that you haven't responded to our email.  If you're still interested in working for JC Penney, please call."  So I called and did the check.  

Maybe another week after that, I'm wondering why I haven't heard from the studio.  So I called.  No answer.  No answer at JC Penney.  The whole store!  When I finally got through I found out that the studio was closed for 2 days.  I waited and called again to check on the status but the manager wasn't there.  So I left a message for her to call me back.  The next Monday I went by the studio after not hearing back from them.  The manager had just left like 30 mins before I got there. ::rolls eyes::  I left another message.  After a few more days of not getting any call back I called again... and left another message.  

This got old, so I went up there again this past Friday and (blessings abound!) the manager was there!  Since she was in the middle of a session, I waited.  And waited. And waited for like an hour.  When she was free she came up to me and said, "Is you phone number blah blah blah?" Yeah... I said.  Then she says, "I've been calling you for a few weeks now, but I can never get through."  For real... srsly... -_-

Anyway, she hired me, had me fill out the new hire paperwork, and scheduled my training!  Boo-Yah!

Praise God for my new job!  Please pray for me as I start today (training from 3pm - 7pm).  Prayerfully, it'll be the job that I can really enjoy and feel right in.  I'm excited! ^.^

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11