Mini-Sessions are Back! {Omaha NE Family Photographer}

September 6, 2012 by unsweptstone

It’s that time of year when, in the very, very dark recesses of my mind, I start wondering what in the world I’m going to put on the Christmas card. I know, it’s early September and we still haven’t even celebrated Columbus Day (Native American Day for you South Dakotans), but you don’t want to be sitting in a snow drift for your family pictures, do you?

Lucky for you, I’ve got you covered because Mini Sessions ARE BACK! September 23, 30 minute slots in either the morning or afternoon. For $50 you’ll have at least 10 edited proofs to choose from, a free 5×7 and the option to buy 50 holiday cards for $25!

Call 402.957.3721 or email me using the contact form. Looking forward to it!

Oh Baby! {Omaha, NE Newborn & Baby Photographer}

August 16, 2012 by unsweptstone

A million years ago, there was a newborn in this house. And life was good. Then, they grew up. Thankfully, for people like me who love the smell and the squishy goodness of babies but love even more to sleep and eat a hot meal without interruption, there are awesome moms out there who are kind enough to let me snuggle with theirs every now and then.

We even had a little fun with her big sister. And anybody who knows me, knows I love those big sisters!

I’m already looking forward to sweet Baby L’s 6 month pics!

The Post Where She Tries to Explain Her Husband to Regular People

June 30, 2012 by unsweptstone

Anyone who has spent more than 46 seconds with my husband knows that he has a quirky, unstoppable, inimitable, sometimes unfollowable, and other times pinpoint accurate way of looking at the world.

Time spent talking to him was described to me once as, “A mental roller coaster. Like Space Mountain in the dark.”

I was thankful for the person who said that because he got it. There’s nothing better than someone who “gets” you. Not a lot of people get my husband. He uses hand gestures, visual aids and reenacts parts of movies to help you along. But sometimes they still don’t get it. Really, people? I can only imagine how your geometry teacher must have felt.

Because of this, oftentimes listening to him is like trying to tune in a radio from the middle of a cornfield. You can almost get it, but the farm report from the next station is turning Black Eyed Peas into a Rick Dee’s Weekly Top 40 discourse on declining crop conditions.

I’m so 3008
Soybeans 2000 and late
Gotta get that boom boom boom
Corn futures boom boom boom

Bottom line is, corn production is down, but it has a good beat and you can dance to it.

Other times, he makes such an excellent and well-articulated point that you want to elect him to office. A prime example is the year I was taking an architecture class. Mid-semester I suddenly declared a change in my life’s manifesto to include crocheting hats for the Third World; thereby nixing my original intention of line dancing across America.

You can dress ’em up …

I mean, how is the Third World going to benefit from an American line dancer? Surely what they need are more hats … and architects, definitely more architects.

He said he had some concern that I was becoming – to quote him directly – “an inch deep and a mile wide.” I considered this phrase for a moment while I was punching him in the gut, and realized, huh. I kinda AM.

But, alas, this isn’t about me! (And don’t even think about asking about the damn hats. All the best manifestos are written in pencil.)

To his credit, this man, as befuddling and enlightening as he can be, has always had a single vision.

I’ll be honest. I’m in this gig 21 years and I still don’t really know what his single vision is, so let’s just go with World Domination.

Speaking of World Dominators, morph together a slightly younger Al Gore and Phineas & Ferb’s Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Good looking, clearly has a plan, but it’s never clear what that plan might be. People might call my husband crazy, but when the earth’s climate takes a turn for the worst and his Global Cool-inator saves the galaxy, you’ll be saying, “Ooooooohhhh … that’s what he was trying to tell us!”

By now, my betrothed is reading this thinking, “I thought this would be delightful romp of a commentary into understanding me better. But it’s really just more confusing. I think I’ll go have a spoonful of peanut butter and ponder my rebuttal.”

I don’t blame him. I forgot where I was going with this too.

Oh yes, of course! Today is his birthday. And what do you get Al Doofenshmirtz for his birthday?

Right.

I don’t know either. So, as of this moment, it’s a loving blog post for the man who has – and is – everything.

Sorry dear!

I love you like a mental roller coaster.

We Call Her “E” {Omaha Senior Photographer}

June 22, 2012 by unsweptstone

We’ve had the privilege of getting to know this young lady over the past year or so and while she probably gets tired of hearing it, she really is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

Good luck in your senior year, E! We can’t wait to watch you set the world on fire!

There’s a Bathroom on the Right

June 9, 2012 by unsweptstone

I have two sisters, which makes my life doubly awesome.

I might be the youngest, but I’m just the sugary, lard-laden stuffing in the middle of their Whoopie Pie of awesomeness.

And right now you’re thinking, Wow, this English major really got her money’s worth in those upper-level courses. Kate Chopin and Joyce Carol Oates ain’t got nothin’ on me.

Now, where was I going with this? Oh, right. Both of my sisters are popular, but one just became recently married. Oh My Goldfish. Is she really going to talk about this again?

Yes and I’ll tell you why.

You may be surprised to hear that this blog doesn’t exactly rank up there with Pioneer Woman or Dooce in followership. In fact, I count myself lucky when my mother tunes in. I’ve got a faithful few and I like it that way.

But then, my sister’s wedding happened and all of the sudden my blog was being shared and passed along like the sixteenth Janet Evanovich book. (You know, the one that came before her sharp nosedive into the literary version of the last season of Jersey Shore. Talk about jumping the shark. Bo-ring.)

So, I got a little self-conscious knowing all these new people were peeking at my blog. I’m not exactly WikiLeaks here. I’m not revealing deep, dark secrets (you already know this and this and this about me anyway), but I’m like the girl at the party singing the wrong words to Blinded by the Light. Everyone sneaks a glance at the dork talking about douches rolling in the night.

What? That’s not how it goes?

I’m not going to apologize for what unsweptstone is. To me, it’s Words and Pictures. Both. Not just the stuff I photograph, while that’s a big part of it, but also the stories I like to tell, shouldn’t tell, and have to tell. Sometimes there’s even a stick drawing thrown in for added enjoyment (mine usually).

In whatever form it comes, it’s mine and I’m sharing it with you. It’s a labor of love and even though it tickles me pink to think you like it, I’ll still write even if you don’t.

But I secretly hope you do.

Mike + Jackie {Omaha Photographer}

May 30, 2012 by unsweptstone

Words can’t describe how perfect this day was. I have literally thousands of pictures yet to go through but I had to stop editing and share some of my favorites!

Little ring bearer John loves Jackie like he loves Captain America, but he only has eyes for the matron of honor – a.k.a. his mama. 🙂

They are so lucky to be able to look out the window everyday at this gorgeous place! A beautiful setting for beautiful people.

Ahh…now back to editing! Love you guys!

It’s a Dog’s Life

May 11, 2012 by unsweptstone

I walked the dog this morning.

Or she walked me.

We came to a full stop no fewer than six times. We changed direction twice and even backtracked once.

The men painting the house down the road alerted each other in Spanish to Charlie’s approach. They turned and smiled at her. She stopped to observe their work. I told her I had treats hidden in my pocket when I spotted a clump of her white fur flying directly into the freshly painted red door. We made a hasty retreat.

The little boy at the rummage sale a little farther on asked if I ever pet her nose. I said sometimes. He informed me she really liked it so I should do it more. Then he took the leash and they trotted right over to his mom, whom Charlie greeted with a sniff in the hoo-ha. I took the leash back and we left. I didn’t see anything I needed at that garage sale anyway.

The lady at the next rummage sale said Charlie was a polar bear and was soon hypnotized by her lengthy gaze, “Polar bears only live in zoos and the arctic and they will eat your face off. But I? I will gaze into your eyes until you fall in love. I am far better than any polar bear. Yes, keep scratching…right there.” The lady eventually confessed to having no treats. We left.

At the next stop, a mere 20 or 30 steps from our front door, Charlie became obsessed with a certain spot in the yard. I had a nice chat with the neighbor while Charlie probed, nose first in what seemed to be a hole. Hard to say exactly what was so fascinating, but she got over it pretty quick when the sprinkler head popped out.

We finally made it home and now she sleeps in her favorite place, behind the chair, curled up like a kenneled puppy. She liked the walk, I could tell by the pool of slobber on the floor when I gave her a treat.

Life is swirling around us. It’s almost summer, the kids are taking finals, baseball season has grabbed us by the throat, and the calendar is full-up with holidays, graduations, weddings and work. But Charlie can’t make heads nor tails of the Google calendar. She doesn’t open the mail, and if she could text, it would be something along the line of: “buy mo’ bacon, yo!” (She’s a hipster at heart.)

There are days when I could totally be a dog.

So, I will leave you with one of my most favorite non-people pictures I took last year because it makes me happy and because Charlie likes S’Mores (sans chocolate, of course.)