101 in 1001: #80 Play Mini Golf.

I grew up playing mini golf. When I think summer, I think dusky, muggy nights with a club in one hand and a scorecard in the other. As a kid I lived for those nights ... so much so that I had my 13th birthday party at a mini golf course. I'll have to share a photo from that party one day. I sported a farmer's tan and giant Dr. Martens sandals. Oh yeah! As I've gotten older, mini golf has generally been reserved for vacations, so when Nathan and I headed to Hilton Head recently for my cousin's wedding, I had one goal outside of watching my cousin and cousin-in-law (how does that work??) walk down the aisle. Does that officially make me dorky? Probably, but I'm OK with it. :)

I'm pretty sure the last time we played mini golf was three years ago when we visited that same cousin in Hilton Head. How did I let THREE years go by? See why it was on my 101 list?

This is what happened last time we played, and guess who won?!

Yeah, NATHAN won. Even after hitting his ball in the water multiple times. Have I mentioned that I'm slightly competitive when it comes to mini golf? I so wanted to win this time around.

Good form ...

... but then I got a hole in one! (I hope I'm not this annoying in real life.)

And the scorecard doesn't lie! I even got a free pass to play at the course again. Maybe in, say, three years??

101 in 1001: #40 Attend a national gymnastics event.

I walked into the arena and memories rushed back. The feel of grips against my calloused hands, the sound of the beam squeaking as I jumped and landed, the smell of chalk as I prepared the bars just the way I like them. It was all there in that place, and I felt like a 14-year-old girl again. I absolutely adore gymnastics. There's something so addicting about the sport that just never leaves you. For me it's the combination of power, grace, focus, and complete and utter strength. Ah! Gives me chills.

Since I've taken a hiatus from coaching for the last year, I've been craving gymnastics. And since the Olympics are coming SO soon, I knew this was the perfect year to try and attend a national, elite-level gymnastics meet (on my 101 list!). Enter Visa National Championships, the precursor to the Olympic Trials.

Anna, one of my coaching friends, and I traveled to St. Louis this past weekend, which was like a mini vacay in and of itself. We got to tour the arch, attend a baseball game, check out an awesome breakfast spot and, duh, spend an entire day watching gymnastics. That's perfection right there.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize that you couldn't take a DSLR camera into the meets, so my little iPhone camera had to do the trick for the day. Sad.

Oh you guys. If you're a gymnastics junkie right about the time the Olympics roll around, you're going to have a good time watching these athletes ... both women and men. And don't forget to catch the Olympic Trials in a couple weeks! Should be exciting.

Here's a little of our time in STL.

We were so excited about gymnastics that we did some gymnastics in front of the arch. Slightly dorky, yes, but that's how I roll.

The view from the teeeeeeny, tiny windows in the top of the arch (top) and the view from the stadium. St. Louis is a cool city!

Then we went to this Portland-esque restaurant for breakfast. Check out Plush if you're ever in STL. Right near Saint Louis University. I had buckwheat pancakes with blue cornmeal, granola and cranberries, and Anna had porridge with custard and berries. YUM.

101 in 1001: #1 Buy a Camera Bag I Can Shoot With.

Does it feel like everything's moving really fast? And when I say everything, I'm personally thinking about this business. I feel like it was just yesterday I was launching this blog, getting my first (or second) camera bag, declaring I was going to try this photography thing on my own, branding myself ... and now this Saturday I'll be shooting my first wedding of the season. And then it's on to tackle albums. I'm so thankful that this photography dream has taken on a life of its own. I feel incredibly blessed that I've been able to work quickly and take on one new thing after another. Kind of crazy, but also crazy exciting. :)

So anyways, onto the subject of this post: the Posey bag by Kelly Moore! As shoots picked up, I realized how much I needed a smaller, lightweight camera bag that I could wear during a session. I was constantly going to my big bag to change lenses or cards, and I was wasting time. It definitely wouldn't do on a wedding day. Enter Posey bag.

When I was looking for a bag I could shoot with, I thought about SHOOTSAC. I've used Amanda's while working weddings with her, and while I love how well it lays against your side, I really wanted something that I could set on the ground without falling over. That's the one drawback to the SHOOTSAC for me. Sometimes I lay on the ground for a shot, and it's necessary for me to keep my gear safe if I have to take off my bag.

So, since I love my Kelly Moore JuJu bag, I decided to look at her line again. Kelly Moore's bags are so durable and practical, but also cute! And the Posey is no exception. It meets all of my requirements and then some. Take a look:

Looks like a purse, right? I love that I can now safely take my camera out with me and not look like I'm carrying a camera bag.

The top flaps fold down for when you're shooting, and they magnetically stay in place. Brilliant!

I divide the inside into three compartments, so I can fit three lenses in there when I shoot. I can also fit my 5D mkii with two lenses if I want that option.

There are so many pockets! One on the back that closes with a magnet (center photo) and multiple on the front. My favorite part about this bag is the secret zipped compartment that has a sleeve for lots of CF cards and also a ton of pouches for business cards. I definitely will never run out of room in this bag.

So, what bag do YOU shoot with and why? Any other brands I should be checking out?

101 in 1001: #17 Splurge on a Desktop Computer and Update Adobe Software.

The first computer my family ever owned was a Macintosh back in the mid '90s. It was boxy and tan and the screen was tiny, at least compared to today's standards. I remember being SO excited to get a computer so I could play Oregon Trail and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and take typing tests (yes, typing tests. I was a nerd). After that old Mac went by the wayside we had a stint of PCs, but in 2008, I bought a MacBook and was reintroduced to the Apple family. I don't know what it is about brand loyalty to Apple but I feel it. (I promise this blog post isn't a marketing ploy to get you to go buy a Mac.)

While my MacBook is still going strong, and I love it, it's not the ideal computer for a photography business. I've known for awhile that I needed a desktop so I can edit my photos consistently and have the platform to upgrade my Photoshop, and I finally bit the bullet.

Big purchases like this are scary, but I know in the end that this lovely Mac will speed up my workflow so much. Plus, it's kind of exciting to have this shiny thing sitting on my desk.