Ski Trip Results (!!!)

Calm down.  I'm going to tell you about how my little "white lie" turned out on the trip. Screen Shot 2012-03-21 at 4.29.28 PM

That's me.  The one on the snow.  I was "resting my legs." ha.

P1000576It turns out I had not over-exaggerated Jimmy's skiing ability in my head.  He actually was that good.  Show off :)

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Thank God I brought Ben along so I could let them do their own thing and ski at my own pace.

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See?  Two peas on a Pod.

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We all skied together a little bit as well.  It went much better than I expected.  Even though my legs were on fire and I kept making bargins such as "If I ever get down this mountain I'll never lie again," (hmmmm) I did excel at certain parts of the mountain...

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As expected, I really rocked the chairlift part of skiing.  I would sit back and pretend like I didn't care at all if we put the bar down, but as soon as we did I would throw my skis up there... so thankful for just a few minutes of relief.  As the boys discussed the next runs we would take, I secretly hoped someone getting off at the top would fall just to make the ride a little bit longer.

On the bright side, my legs and butt did get a nice workout, which is why I felt fine about doing this...

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Apparently beer tastes better if you feel like you earned it.

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The only slight issue I had was when I got too tired/frustrated/unable to ski and jimmy had to carry my skis so I could take a break.  I'm not sure my brother will ever let me live it down, but hey, if that's the worst thing that happened I'll consider it a success.

Other successes?

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Shots of rumple minze at the Village Cafe.

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Taking mom to the Mangy Moose.

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Tons of great meals in Jackson Hole... and of course tons of hot tub time at the Four Seasons.

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I'm a pretty lucky girl.

Speaking of being lucky (see that segue there) , you too could be lucky IF you enter our contest to win a FREE AD in the Beacham Series.

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Come on, don't make me beg.  Right now I only have 3 entries, so if you enter you have a GREAT chance of winning.  PLEASE PLEASE PELASE.

The deadline is Tomorrow... Thursday, at midnight.  Please please please.  Don't make me look like a loser (who has to get someone to carry her skis).

Fun things coming up on This Photographer's Life:

1. I'm giving away two FREE autographed copies of Historical Concept's new book "Coming Home."

2. We will have to chose a winner of the free ad!!! yea!!!

3. We have listed a beautiful new modern house (my favorite)

4. We need to ramp up to the next Beacham Series party, so that's always fun.

Tons of good stuff on the horizon, so stay tuned!!!

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Jackson Hole and my big fat lie.

Jimmy, my mom, my brother and I are going to Jackson Hole...  You would think I would be thrilled.  It's obviously beautiful there, and with our tropical winter in GA this year, I have been craving snow.

I've actually been to Jackson Hole.  When I was 18 my dad and I went on a Father/Daughter photo trip out West, and it was our first stop.  My dad is a really amazing photographer, and this trip together was my high school graduation present. It was such a nice time to spend with my dad doing what we love.

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See, here I am petting a horse (I'm secretly terrified of horses) and holding a camera.

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Blayne in front of a mountain.

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I wonder what I was taking there?

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I remember this was the first place we went when we got into Jackson Hole.  We were looking for some sort of souvenir or something.  I think maybe my dad got a hat?

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One of the coolest things we did was to going paragliding.

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I took this photo right after we were in the air.  I wish I had more photos of that.  It was amazing, and one of the most adventurous things I've ever done.

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My dad and I had such a nice time.

I'm sure you are thinking, "Ok, so what's the problem?"  Well, here we go.

Jimmy is really great at skiing.  He went to college in Colorado and worked in Jackson Hole.  He's skied his whole life.

I have been skiing since I was about 9.... but, in my brother's words, "I'm just not very athletic."

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Which is fine when you're with your family, but not fine when you've led your boyfriend to believe you're "a skier."

Eager to impress Jimmy, on our first date I totally talked up my abilities.  The conversation went something like this:

Jimmy: "Oh yea, I lived in Jackson Hole...  I really try to go out there 3-4 times a season."

Me: "I've been to Jackson Hole.  Great skiing there"  <---  more of a white lie... wait for it....

Jimmy: "Oh, you ski?"

Me: "I LOVE skiing!  My family and I go all the time.  We really love Aspen, but last time we went to Deer Valley because my brother was working there."  (I am CRINGING that those words actually came out of my mouth... but still only a half lie... the LOVE part.)

Jimmy: "Oh cool.  Are you good at skiing?"

Me: "For sure.  I've been skiing since I was little, and I just can't wait to get out there every Winter.  You can't keep me off the slopes." <-----  TOTAL and complete LIE.

Whoops.

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Well, here we are on the cusp of our trip, and I've begun my backpedaling.

Phrases such as,"Remember how I said I was good at skiing?  Well, I MAY have slightly exaggerated my abilities," and "When we go to Aspen, I don't exactly ski AJAX... I'm more of a Snowmass/Buttermilk kind of girl," have been spilling out like beans.

Luckily I have been talking up my other abilities, such as:

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Sandwich eating and cappuccino drinking  (Possibly the worst picture ever taken of Kate and me --->  also hysterical.)

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Drinking beer after a "hard day on the mountain"

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Getting on and off the lift (I have this down to a science)

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Photographing my friends and family during lunch breaks

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Hot tubbing

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Going out to eat

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and snowmobiling.

I am pretty much an expert at all the parts of skiing that don't actually involve skiing.

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Hopefully Jimmy still loves me when we get back...

Wish me luck.

To read the exciting conclusion to this story please click here.

...

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Thinking of starting a blog? Why you should.

Having a blog is awesome. why?

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1. You meet really cool people...  it's kind of like internet dating... for friends.  That's how I met Holly from Things That Inspire.  (far left)

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2. People care about you and what you're doing, which is always nice and makes you feel special.  ---> who else would sit still as I talked all about my fun Valentines?

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3. People present you with unique opportunities.... i.e. a free photo shoot with the love of my life via acclaimed photographer Katie Oblinger.

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4. By putting your dreams out there, people help you achieve them... i.e. getting published in "Coming Home" from Historical Concepts.

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5.  Sometimes people see houses, love them, and buy them... i.e. this post.

I recently had 3 amazing things happen to me that reminded me of why having a blog is "The Bomb" (too soon to be retro?  Who knows?).

1. A few weeks ago I got an email from a blog reader asking for help listing his home... he wanted to be in The Beacham Series (!??!)  I could help with that!

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His home is in Druid Hills, so I suggested he work with Erin Yabroudy.  Erin has a great new blog about things going on in Atlanta.  Read it.

Erin got the listing, and last week I went to photograph 621 Ridgecrest Road.

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I was so excited when I drove up!  What a great house!

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I was thinking I might buy it myself if I had not JUST finished my own house.

Living room

Living room to stairs and entryway

Fireplace

Office

Dining room

back patio best

detail through arch

playground

Kitchen

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breakfast into family

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masterIsn't it great?  I am so excited the owner decided to list with us.  I really hope someone buys this house, so I can do a post about another success story!  PLEASE!

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2. Last week one of my favorite listings, which I wrote about here, was featured on Cote de Texas!  I love Joni and was thrilled she wrote about the home...  She's one of the best bloggers in the country!

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3. Today my friend Holly, of Things That Inspire, featured Glennis Beacham's amazing French Home on Habersham.  Architect Duane Stone.  Interiors Peggy Stone.  I am so flattered that Holly featured the home... she is also one of the best bloggers in the country and probably THE best in Atlanta.

And that, my friends, is why blogging is awesome!  Any questions?

Oh wait, I have one... well, two.

A few months ago I asked you guys something.  Do you come here to read about my life, or do you come here to see pictures of houses?  Well, I heard you.  Less Blayne, more Houses.  Since then I have worked really hard to write a lot more about houses and a lot less about me.  I wanted to know, how am I doing?  New Poll Time!!

[polldaddy poll=6012843]

And while I have your attention, I am very curious about where you readers come from, so please answer :) [polldaddy poll=6012908]

Thanks for everything lovies!

Happy Tuesday!

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p.s. Jimmy and I start personal training tonight...  all this love/eating has not been great for either of us.  :)

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My Photographs Published in Historical Concept's New Book, Coming Home

This is a dream of mine that's been in the making for years.  In this 2010 post I wrote about how I wanted to photograph an architect's work for their book.  A few months later Historical Concepts contacted me about shooting one of their homes in Pine Mountain, GA.  I love Historical Concepts.  They do an amazing job on each of their homes, and I was thrilled to work with them. Early one Saturday morning in 2010 I took off for the shoot.  Here are the photos that I took:

Home

Front Door

Front Porch

Front Door2

Fireplace

Fireplace Detail

Dining room

Dining to Living room

Porch to Pond

Kitchen w fixed clock

Doors to porch

Porch

Porch to Bedroom

Porch Swing

Red Room out to porch

Bed Detail

Master Bath

House through lavender

To garden house

Pool House

I delivered the photos to Historical Concepts and really did not think too much more about it.

In September of 2011 I got some mail from them.

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I jumped up and down and ran around and waved the paper in Jimmy's face.  Finally!  A dream realized.

Then I waited... and last week I got something in the mail.

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It said it was from Historical Concepts.  What ever could it be?

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Isn't that packaging beautiful?

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No no no... Thank you for LETTING me be part of Coming Home!

There it was!

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Signed and everything!

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Finally I found my house.

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Thank you so much for making one of my dreams come true!  Coming Home is a beautiful book and could be on every coffee table around Atlanta/THE WORLD!!   Maybe I can convince them to let me give one away here!  You can order yours on their website ...but the book hits shelves TOMORROW!!!!

THANK YOU AGAIN!!!  Thank you!

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My Personal Home: Beginning and End

The big reveal... Screen Shot 2012-02-24 at 9.22.44 AM

When I bought this house in 2006, I didn't have anything except a bed and some old furniture.   I worked with Anne Williams to pick out some new pieces and recover some sofas and chairs (originally plaid and jean).

Screen Shot 2012-02-23 at 11.08.57 AMYou can see some of the new fabric above.... plus you can look at that cute Sister, so you're welcome.  She did a great job setting up my house so I could live in it.  It was sleek and minimalist... like a New York loft.  (I am KICKING myself for not having pictures of it when she finished.  It looked amazing.)

Screen Shot 2012-02-23 at 11.08.38 AM Unfortunately I like buying things.  Over the next five years I bought art and tables and accessories.  Having absolutely ZERO interior design talent, my house ended up looking like this.

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There were great things there, but it just didn't feel finished.  Also, I started craving color.  Don't get me wrong, I love neutrals, but I was ready for a change. It was about that time when my good friend Cristi Holcomb of Charm Home suggested to Simply Buckhead that they feature my house.  There it was.  The push I needed to finish the house.

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Having no idea how to start, I begged enlisted the help of my friend, the very talented designer Laura Green of L. Green Studios. She said the house was in desperate need of paint, refreshing and framed art.  Just as she gave in  agreed to help me, the snowpocolypse of 2011 hit.  For the next week and a half, my friends and family worked tirelessly (read the blog post about it here)...

Screen Shot 2012-02-23 at 10.59.10 AMThere is my sweet mom painting book shelves.

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My things all over...

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Guest room with its bold new paint color...

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At the end of the week and a half we were exhausted but ready for the Simply Buckhead photographers.

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And then it was over.  I was happy to have the house finished and everything...  but as you know I am a photographer... a house photographer to be exact.  I needed to capture the project myself.

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Enter Brian Patrick Flynn.  Among his NUMEROUS talents, he produces stories and photo shoots for his acclaimed blog Decor Demon.  He asked if we could shoot my house.  DUH.  I got coffee and sandwiches and waited for his crew to arrive.

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We worked together for the next 7 or 8 hours, moving things around, creating vignettes, discovering Brian's vision for my home.

Screen Shot 2012-02-24 at 10.00.54 AM He directed, I photographed.

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And finally we are ready to reveal my house.  Brian wrote the coolest story about it.  I am so flattered... and I can't believe I actually LIVE here.  How lucky am I?

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This is my favorite photo we took!  To see the final pictures of my house, please visit Brian's blog, Decor Demon.

Have a great weekend everybody!

-Blayne

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