Category Archives: just for fun

key west: aquarium!

a hands-on experience.

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one of our favorite experiences in key west was the aquarium – a small, humble home to so many incredible sea creatures! the key west aquarium has endured hurricanes and natural disasters, but remains an awesome institution that cares for the ocean community :) everyone there is so nice, and we got a great little tour of the facility and learned about the great work it does. john especially loved the “petting tank” where you could (gently!) play with the sea creatures!

enjoy!

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sea urchin!

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horseshoe crab!

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street art.

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sea star!

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the next tank over had sharks!

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Filed under just for fun, photo road trip, photography, photojournalism, travel

key west: new year’s eve!

hello 2009!

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i stole away to key west to ring in 2009 and it was amazing! think relaxed island vibe meets new orleans’ bourbon street madness…

true to key west standards, the new year’s celebration is full of competing traditions, which makes is the perfect place to revel in whatever type of party you fancy. from one end of the island to the other, revelers spilled out of jammed bars with live music and crazy cocktails, popping champagne in the streets and tossing mardi gras beads to the crowd. we started the evening at schooner’s wharf where we watched as the pirate wench hoisted herself up the liberty clipper and prepared to descend at midnight. we got a sneak peek as they practiced firing the cannon and lit the mast, before heading into the madness of duval street. a sea of people streamed along the infamous main drag of downtown key west, gathering in front of sloppy joes for the annual dropping of the conch shell. we decided to make our way all the way down duval to take in the spectacle at bourbon street pub where Sushi, a renowned local drag queen, descended in a life-size red high heel  shoe! it was packed, it was crazy, and it was truly fabulous.

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the key west conch shell by day…

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…and late at night.

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the pirate wench at schooners wharf.

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revelers party in the streets.

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the infamous red high heel.

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Filed under just for fun, photo road trip, photography, photojournalism

vote for this blog!

go blonde!

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show your love for theblondephotographer.com!

VOTE for me by clicking HERE and entering #99 into the gray entry box at the top left corner (see above!) to locate my blog! then click VOTE FOR THIS ENTRY! woohoo! there are tons of amazing blogs vying for the PPA’s title of “freshest photoblog” – i’d *so* love to have your vote! 

thanks!!
jaime

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Filed under contest, just for fun, me, news

windows: food tasting!

lunch with two amazing women, by my favorite caterer in dc.

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a few weeks ago i was invited by the fabulous danielle couick to a tasting lunch at windows! danielle is a senior event coordinator at windows catering which is highly regarded as one of the premier caterers in dc. i absolutely love working with windows and was so thrilled to be invited to their tasting room! i was joined by my friend + fellow photographer julia macinnis, who wrote an incredible entry about our experience on her blog

windows is absolutely gorgeous – a light-filled space adorned with gorgeous images of their food + events, i was impressed the moment i arrived. we were welcomed with mango bellini’s and entered the stunning tasting room decorated with the sparkling colors + textures of their amazing dinnerware. a sublime 4-course lunch followed, featuring tuna tartare, maine lobster, lobster pasta, filet of beef, the freshest vegetables, and a decadent chocolate dessert. each course was paired with wine and it was all perfectly incredible!

afterwards, we toured the facility, admiring the impeccable kitchen with it’s stellar staff and impressive organization. windows provides catering for corporate events, weddings, and even private dinners with as few as two guests! (a *fantastic* idea for valentine’s day or an anniversary!) 

i absolutely loved my windows experience – i already loved working with danielle at weddings, and now i can attest to the fact that they serve absolutely incredible cuisine. stellar service, attention to detail, and amazing food – what more you could you want from a caterer?

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lobster-pineapple.

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maine lobster with cannerozzetti pasta.

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strawberry-tuna.

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the filet of beef.

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mango + cocoa bomb.

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the incredible array of table + dinnerware!

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Filed under food + wine, just for fun, me, photography

hello, handsome.

i am in love, and his name is mark. 5D markII, to be exact.

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i.am.so.excited.

released late last year, canon’s latest, fabulous, and much sought-after camera – the 5D MKII – was on permanent backorder across the country and unavailable for months! i neglected to pre-order one last fall, and had to wait (note: patience is not one of my virtues) until my favorite camera shop had one in stock! i *just* tore open the box and am in awe. what a sleek little machine. i’m *so* excited to put it into action tomorrow at my very first littlest heroes session!

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Filed under just for fun

i love my brides!

2009 Bride's Choice Awards presented by WeddingWire | Wedding Cakes, Wedding Venues, Wedding Photographers & More

i just wanted to give a big *thank you* to all my awesome brides on weddingwire for their amazing reviews that earned me a 2009 bride’s choice award

it’s no secret that i am passionate about my job – i love being able to document the love and the lives of people everyday. my goal is to capture images that make people happy and there is no better feeling in the world than hearing from an excited, happy client! i am so lucky to have built my business solely on referrals from clients and fellow photographers. contests and awards are great, but i measure my success by the excitement + responses i get from the people that i photograph (and my super amazing blog readers and commenters!!!) i am always thrilled when someone recognizes my work and therefore i think it’s very cool that this particular award comes straight from my very happy brides! yay!

here’s to all the happy clients in 2008 and many more to come in 2009! woohoo!

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Filed under just for fun, news, wedding