Jimmy and I are ENGAGED!!!

JIMMY AND I ARE ENGAGED!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!

I could not possibly be more excited.  I am so in love with him and cannot believe I am lucky enough to spend every single day with him for the rest of my life.  I know you guys don't know Jimmy as well as you know me, so I wanted to tell you a little bit about him...

Jimmy is the happiest person I've ever known.  Every single little thing I do is better when he is around.  He has the best attitude, and he just makes things more joyful.  He has this laugh that is my favorite sound.  It's so loud and infectious.  He makes me FUNNIER because I want to hear it.  He makes this really loud hoot and then doubles over and just starts laughing so much.  Sometimes, if it's really funny, he cries.  That's when I know he is happiest.  He once laughed so hard that he fell on the floor crying.  It's a trait he shares with the rest of his family.  I love being with all of them.  They are all just as happy as Jimmy, and when I am with them I laugh so hard that I cry too!

That's the main reasons I got to all the Phish shows with him.  I clearly LOVE Phish... but I was really more of a "go when they are near Atlanta" type girl.  Then I met Jimmy.  He travels to see them all the time.  This Summer will be his 100th show.  We have been to tons of shows together.  All my family and friends say, "you've heard them so many times, how can you possibly want to go anymore?"  I want to go to see Jimmy's face.  It just lights up...  He gets so excited and dances around and just loves it...  and that is my favorite time.  I love seeing him happy more than I love anything else.  I would gladly go to a hundred more shows if I got to see him that happy.

My other favorite thing about Jimmy is that he loves me the most in the world.  Sometimes when he looks at me it just makes my heart want to explode because I know how much he loves me without him even having to tell me... and I love him that much too... and now I get to be with him for the rest of my life.  He is the answer to all of my prayers.  I am the luckiest girl in the entire world... AND I KNOW IT!

Would you like to know how Jimmy proposed to me?

We went on a walk with our dog Charlotte.  We were on the trail at Westminster (where I went to high school) and Jimmy stopped at a bench.  I had no idea why he was stopping...  then he pulled this huge box out of his pocket.  He got down on one knee and said "I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.  Will you marry me?"  Then he opened the box and showed me the most amazing ring I've ever seen.

I said, "yes," and then I just looked at the ring and said, "is the for me?"  I think I was in shock! :)  The ring is so much bigger and so much more than anything I've ever dreamed of getting.  But you know the best part about it?  It's Jimmy's great great grandmother's ring.  I feel so honored that the Macauleys would trust me with something so important.  I will take such good care of it.  It is such a honor to be able to wear it.  A huge thank you to Jimmy's sisters and parents for helping him make such a great decision.

Jimmy and I went over to Murphy's after the proposal, and so many people we love came.  It was sort of an impromptu celebration, and it was perfect!  We had champagne  and toasts.  Then we went over to Atkins Park to meet up with some of our other friends.  Everyone was so happy for us, and we were so happy too!!  I felt like my face was going to fall off from smiling so much!

On Saturday we did the most appropriate thing EVER to celebrate: Jimmy Buffett!  It was such an amazing treat to have everyone with us.  We had members of my family and Jimmy's family, and Mac (basically Jimmy's brother) and some of his family there.  I couldn't have asked for anything better.

On Sunday we went to tell Ya.  Ya has worked for my family for 28 years (since I was born).  When we told her the good news her exact words were, "Praise Jesus," and "When are you having a baby?"  Some things never change.

After we saw Ya we went over to Jimmy's house.  We had dinner with Mac (who we love so much)... took the three remaining Jello shots from Jimmy Buffett...

... and watched Kenny Rogers on stage with Phish at Bonnaroo.  It was the perfect end to a perfect weekend.  Thank you so much to everyone who made it so special!  Thank you to our wonderful families and friends.  We loved getting all the Facebook posts and notes of love and encouragement.  This will be the most fun year of our lives, and I can't wait to share it with all of you.

-Blayne

P.S. One of the first things I did was change the name of my pinterest board.  DUH.

Meet the Parents + Prettiest Kitchen!!

First up? Thank you all so much for your heartfelt notes and comments about me keeping the blog!  I really do love this blog.  I think every blogger hits a mark when they begin to questions the reasons why they are writing.  Based on all the feedback I got, I am going to make a few changes, but keep blogging.  I really do appreciate the support.  It means so much to me that you guys care. :)

Next??

Jimmy's parents are coming to Atlanta this weekend to meet my parents!

That's a big deal!

Ever since the famed "Meet The Parents" movie series came out, this whole process had gotten a bad wrap (or is it bad rap?  I don't know).

Luckily, I adore each and every parent involved, and I am confident the process will go swimmingly.

I actually got a little preview of the meet at greet this Christmas when my dad and Missy met up with Jimmy's family for a quick coffee.  I was so pleased.  Everyone seemed to get along well.

This weekend they are meeting my mom for the first time.

I'm really excited about that actually.  I talk about her all the time, so it will be nice for them to finally meet her.  I asked Jimmy if he thought they would be surprised by how much we look alike...  yes, I know my face is fatter.  Mom has a very tiny head!!

We are planning a nice weekend for everybody.  Both of our moms love to walk, so we thought we could take them over to Westminster for a little stroll around campus.

Westminster is so pretty.  I am actually really looking forward to showing it to them.  I have been spending a lot more time over there now that Lindles and I are "training" for the Peachtree Road Race (i.e. taking the dogs for a walk until they get "too hot").

My dad is taking Jimmy's dad to play golf at the Atlanta Country Club, and then we are going over to have dinner at Dad and Missy's.  I am really looking forward to that as well.

That means the only thing I am responsible for is lunch at my house on Saturday.

FREAK OUT!  ...  Or at least I was this morning.

Last Spring when I shot my house for Decor Demon, it looked like this...

A year and  half later the house looks, well... lived in and "hom-ie."  I wish I could wiggle my nose and Bewitch my house back to "magazine ready."  Of course I can sweep and mop and put away... but you know what I really need?  FLOWERS!  Flowers make everything better!!  I can, of course, go BUY flowers, but I have no idea what to do with them when I get them home.  Flower arranging is an AMAZING TALENT.  Of course I thought of the best flower arranger I know, one of our top agents, Linda Williams.  She very generously offered to come over tomorrow and help me get the flowers together.  What a lifesaver!  I think she also understands that this is a really big deal to me.  It will also be the first time Jimmy's parents see my house... so it has to look it's best.  Obviously.

When I was on the phone with her I remembered to ask her about featuring her new listing (140 Churchill Drive) on the blog.  YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE IT.  It's one of the prettiest houses I've shot this year!  You have got to see the kitchen!

See?  I told you.  To see more pictures from this listing, please click here.

Thank you Linda for offering to help me since I have NO flower skillz.

Wish me luck this weekend!  Any advice?

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"Beacham Series" Party Tomorrow Night + Catch Up!

I'm sorry ok.  I know I have been gone forever.  If it makes you feel any better, the latest issue of "The Beacham Series" is finished!  Thank God.  It is a massive amount of work for three people to do... but Laura and Rod and I managed to finish it up and are convinced it is "the best one ever" (quoting Glennis).  Tomorrow night is "The Beacham Series" party, but before we go into that, lets play a quick game of catch up.  Here's what's happened in the past month...

Glennis and I went to the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World conference in Orlando.  According to beacham.com, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (www.LeadingRE.com) is the largest network of top independent local and regional brand-name brokerage firms in the residential sector of real estate. The 550 firms affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® are represented by 4,600 offices and 140,000 associates in more than 30 countries worldwide. The organization's leadership is demonstrated by the fact that its affiliates comprise 15 of the top 25 real estate companies in the country. Collectively, LeadingRE affiliates produced nearly 800,000 home sales valued at $225 billion in the U.S. in 2010. In addition, LeadingRE locally-branded affiliates hold the Number One position in sales in 40% of the top 96 markets in the U.S., more than any national franchise organizations. For complete information on LeadingRE statistics, visit http://stats.leadingre.com/.  <--  BIG DEAL. :)

We won first place in the Property Brand Advertising category of the marketing contest!

We also got second place in the "New Media" category...  so many thanks to all of you for reading this blog...  Thank you! Thank you!

Glennis and I worked the whole time, but we took a few minutes to stick our feet in the pool...

and celebrate our wins with a Miami Vice.

Jimmy and Charlotte were very proud of us!

Once we got back I went straight into picking a cover for "The Beacham Series."

Rod and Laura and I went over to Janey Lowe's listing at 94 Peachtree Way and started scouting shots.

We loved this porch shot...

We also loved this picture going into the family room.  Isn't that archway pretty?

Here is Rod setting up for a shot through the front door.

There I am holding the reflector. :)

After we picked the cover we had to get the ad designed for the WINNER OF THE AD SPACE COMPETITION: Calligraphy by Kristen Flournoy Hay

We were thrilled that she won, and we love her ad, don't you?

After the ad was ready, we sent the magazine out to Tucker Castleberry to get printed.

That was a cause for celebration at Local Three!

I spent last week at Tucker Castleberry making sure all the colors were right.

The magazine looked amazing...  So I left it in Kent's capable hands and went to Palm Beach with my love to see his family.

We had such a nice time, and I came back refreshed and ready for "The Beacham Series" party tomorrow from 5:30 to 8 PM.

The party is at Janey Lowe's listing on 94 Peachtree Way.  The house is such a treat.  According to Janey's remarks: Stunning to the studs renovation & restoration of this 1900 era home designed by Frank Neely & Davey Construction. Photographed & published nationally. Sweeping front lawn leads to porch with redwood floors. Bright family kitchen with walnut island, highest end appliances, 2 dishwashers, 2 refrigerators, hand-painted custom cabinetry, walk-in pantry, bfast area, all opening to a fireside den. Handsome study w/exquisite hand stained built-ins& brass lighting. Mstr bdrm suite with its own sitting area, dual walk-in-closets, 3 large other bedrooms. Herringbone brick patio & fireplace. 2 car garage w/full guest house.

Here is the amazing news: this house is already under contract!  So, this really is your last chance to see it!

Here are a few photos just to get you in the mood to see an amazing house.

I hope to see you all tomorrow night!  Email me if you have any questions.  [email protected]

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Ski Trip Results (!!!)

Calm down.  I'm going to tell you about how my little "white lie" turned out on the trip.

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

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

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

See?  Two peas on a Pod.

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...

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...

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

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?

Shots of rumple minze at the Village Cafe.

Taking mom to the Mangy Moose.

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

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.

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.

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

Blayne in front of a mountain.

I wonder what I was taking there?

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?

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

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.

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."

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.

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:

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

Drinking beer after a "hard day on the mountain"

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

Photographing my friends and family during lunch breaks

Hot tubbing

Going out to eat

and snowmobiling.

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

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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