Adrienne Maples Photography :: Bloggings from the Studio -

2008-05-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

Jenny + John :: Wedding Day Magic
Written by Adrienne

Wow... some days are just too perfect and this was one of those days!! I had to keep myself from posting a million photos of a laughing Jenny. Her euphoric smiles were contagious & they lasted all day. It was clear to all that she was marring her best friend.I gave John a hard time but he gave it right back :) and we captured some really fun moments with his friends & family. Everyone was so happy to take part in their day, everywhere I looked there were smiles.Below is a shot of John, his mom & three brothers. Joey was giving us a superstar kick. I can't imagine raising FOUR boys!! Maureen you're too fun! What a happy girl! Smiling all day- I mean ALL day. I bet her cheeks hurt Sunday morning :)This was my favorite shot of the entire wedding party captured by Ashlee. I was keeping them entertained & looking my direction while she took the side angle. It was the best angle!This was my first time shooting at the Kemper Museum! It was a bit challenging- they don't allow flash in any of the galleries just in the main hall. The skylight mixed with a little strobe action in the main hall did the trick!I love this shot Ashlee got of the cake! She set the camera to read for Tungsten color balance & shot to get the blue daylight in the background.Thanks for a beautiful fun day everyone! And thanks for the nickname Jeff, the 'white tornado' is pretty accurate...& hilarious. Just got to get that shot & be everywhere all at once, right? ;)

Wedding Day Details

Ceremony :: Country Club Congregational
Reception & Catering:: Kemper Museum of Art
Coordinator :: Cindy Patricks by referral only
Florist :: Beco Flowers
Bakery :: Take the Cake
Videography :: Jeff Stultz
Entertainment :: DJ Scott Kaiser

2008-05-21T10:08:00.001-07:00

Our Team Introducing Jaclyn
Written by AdrienneI wanted to introduce Jaclyn, the newest member to the Adrienne Maples Photography Team! Jaclyn began working with us in April & we are thrilled to have her assisting with our 2008 wedding season. She has a degree in graphic design from Oklahoma University & we are learning that she is a woman of many talents!
Recently I answered 8 facts about myself & I've asked Jaclyn to share a few fun facts for your blog reading pleasure:

'I grew up on a farm in south central Kansas fifteen minutes from the nearest signs of civilization. Living in the boonies led to several of my favorite jobs ever.

Every harvest I was a "grain girl," working 15 hour days for the entire 3 or 4 weeks of harvest. I would weigh the trucks in and out and test the wheat. You just haven't lived until you've witnessed harvest time in a small Kansas town!

My other favorite job was working at a peach orchard. We pruned, fixed the watering systems, and picked more peaches than you have ever seen in your life. The best part was eating them as we picked them!

I've seen every episode of Friends and Sex and the City at least five or ten times each. Other guilty pleasures include reading US Weekly, which might be the most embarrassing thing about me.

I'm a citizen of both the United States and of Switzerland. My dad's side of the family lives there still, but my grandparents came to America with my dad and his siblings.

I've never been to Europe or even most US states, but I spent a summer in Cambodia and fell in love with South East Asia. The food is incredible, too.

I met my husband at high school debate camp. We're nerdy, I know. We kept in touch throughout college, getting together from time to time. Once we finally started dating we were engaged in just a few months! He's from the tiny town of Lyons, Kansas.

I love running half marathons. It's a really addictive thing. Other hobbies are yoga, bargain shopping, reading nutrition facts on food, and Netflix.

One time I tried to groom my little Yorkie/Pomeranian (his name is Baxter) myself, but I ended up shaving him completely except for a tail poof. I have pictures; you'll laugh so hard you'll cry. Some dogs were not meant to be shaved.' I had to include this picture of Baxter. It's pretty hilarious!! You are too cute Jaclyn!

We'll be back very soon with some beautiful moments from John & Jenny's wedding last weekend! It was a BEU-tiful day!!!

2008-05-20T20:44:00.000-07:00

Support Your Local Farmer's Market!
By Ashlee

My mom was in town for Mother's Day weekend and we wanted to try and hit all of our favorite spots in just two days. It was rough but we managed to do it. We woke up really early on Saturday and went to the City Market downtown. There were so many vendors with tons of fresh produce. I went absolutely nuts when I saw that avocados were $1 each when they have been about $1.80 or more at the grocery store. I was beginning to think that I wouldn't be making any fresh guacamole this summer. There are many reasons why you should buy local produce. First of all, it just flat out tastes better. According to a website called Local Harvest , "Most produce in the US is picked 4 to 7 days before being placed on supermarket shelves, and is shipped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold. And this is when taking into account only US grown products!" A lot of fruit is shipped from Mexico, Asia, South America and Canada so that will most definitely increase the time gap between harvest and store shelf. Another option is Community Supported Agriculture or a CSA. CSA's are a way for the public to create a relationship with a local farm and receive a weekly basket of produce. You become a member by paying a weekly or monthly fee and there are some CSA's that also require members work a small number of hours on the farm during the growing season. Hen House offers an easy CSA program. After the annual $25 membership fee (which comes with a t-shirt, two tote bags and a cookbook) you pay $25 a week to pick up your basket of fresh, locally grown produce. The program runs from May 17th through September 17th.
Oh! I almost forgot! Be on the look out for these big, black recycling bins. There are already quite a few in the City Market area and they are supposed to be in The Power and Light District and the Westport area as well. So hang on to your plastic bottles & aluminum cans just a few minutes longer so you can deposit them in one of these bins. The word is that they will be installed in parts of town with high foot traffic.
Helpful Links!
The City Market - Kansas City, MO
The Brookside Farmer's Community Market - 63rd and Wornall
List of area Farmer's Markets - from the Pitch

Have a safe Memorial Day weekend everyone!!
~Ashlee

2008-05-19T16:43:00.000-07:00

All in the Family
Written by AdrienneYou might remember these two from their rainy wedding day in October 2006, check it here. (The early stages of the blog ;) They had a gorgeous wedding, despite a little rain. We had so much fun getting together last week for a little fashion shoot! Emily & Kelly are sisters. And as always, I needed to get a few sisters shots for my on going project on sisters. (Another one from early blog days!) Both of these ladies are so comfortable with the camera- they gave me so much good stuff to work with!Gorgeous Girls! And check Kelly out in this one!
I think perhaps I should start working out...Way to go team!! High Five- We had a great time & we look forward to the next. Ashlee should be posting a few of hers later this week! So stay tuned. She got some great shots of Emily & I can't wait to share a few more with you- check back :)

2008-05-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

Shelley & Andrew :: Engagement
Written by Adrienne
What a fun pair! They went to KU together & wanted to have their engagement session somewhere memorable. So we met up by Potter Lake on the KU campus in Lawrence.Andrew was a natural in front of the camera & he easily made Shelley giggle & smile at his jokes. These two light up when they are around each other & it was adorable to watch. By the end of our session these two started cutting up & really having a great time.I look forward to your wedding at Longview this October! We're going to have a great time :)

2008-05-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

Dale & Andrea are Expecting!! Happy Mother's Day :)

Written by AdrienneAshlee & I took a little trip over to Waverly, Missouri to visit with one of our favorite couples! We shot their wedding last year AND Dale's brothers wedding this January. Needless to say, we like seeing these two- it's always a good time and great shots! Dale works the Boland farm with his family & we decided to shoot at a location that's especially important to them. This gorgeous old barn is a special place & it provided a spectacular spot to get some memorable shots of their growing family.The horses were quite curious of my camera but easily spooked by flash or sudden movement. Dale climbed on one bareback... against Andrea's advice. Luckily the man knows how to fall! He gracefully hit the ground with no injury :)

It was an eventful shoot!The horses offered quite a challenge when incorporating them into my frame. It's hard to get them to cooperate. Patience pays off & in the end I think it lead to some unique shots.

Thanks guys for continuing to entrust me with telling your family story :) I can't wait to meet your newest addition!!

In a little 'green news'- Andrea told me they are committed to using cloth diapers! I think this is wonderful & quite a commitment. This is one of the great ecological debates & I've linked an article here. Despite the argument that either one has an environmental impact (everything has an impact!) Cloth diapers do not take anywhere near as much energy to produce & clean as a disposable! And there is no hazardous landfill waste. Generally speaking, farmers have always been environmentalists; reuse & recycle is second nature.

Look for another exciting green post on this topic later this week!

2008-05-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

Eureka Springs Welcoming Spring 2008

Written by Adrienne

As I mentioned in a previous post, my hubby & I just celebrated our 2 year anniversary. (I know gramma- I can't compete with you guys at 60+!!)

Nevertheless, every year we take a little time off to celebrate with each other & relax- no work allowed :) That's why it's taken so long for me to post about our trip... I didn't take my laptop or even a card reader! We stayed at the fabulously cute Heartstone Inn run by Rick & Cheri Rojek. It's nestled in a beautiful spot on the hillside & our room had a super comfy bed. We enjoyed the absolutely delicious breakfast Rick & Cheri prepared each morning (see below- yummy!) As I mentioned before, we wanted to spend most of our time relaxing so we were in our room early every night sitting by the fireplace or soaking in the jacuzzi tub. Perfect!

Saturday the town held a parade to mark the beginning of the spring art festival. We loved listening to the live music & we cheered along with the locals as a variety of entertaining characters marched along Spring street. It was such a fun day.

On Sunday we took a hike along the War Eagle trail at Withrow Springs State Park. It was a nice hike & we ooed and awed at the beautiful scenery. Of course we went in the middle of the day so it was not quite ideal for photographing landscapes. If you enjoy trail hiking Scott recommends Tim Ernst's book Arkansas Hiking Trails. The photo below shows my husband, Scott looking out over a bluff along the trail.
We enjoyed wandering the streets downtown & visiting the many springs- These springs were said to have healing powers... The views were breathtaking & so different than anywhere I've been it's no wonder people believed this & flocked to the town!We'll be back to visit :)

2008-05-06T23:13:00.001-07:00

My Anniversary :: May 6th
Written by Adrienne

Today is the 2 year anniversary of the day I married my husband, Scott . In fact, we've just returned from our anniversary get away. We took a road trip down to Eureka Springs- a gorgeous little town nestled in Northern Arkansas. It was perfect for a relaxing get away.
And look at these beautiful flowers my step mother sent us!! I had to take a photo & share with all of you. They look great in my showroom! Thank you Cheryl :)

I'll be back with photos & great tips when traveling to Eureka Springs!
Gotta catch up on work first :)

2008-05-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

Ashlee + Billy :: Engagement Fun
Written by Adrienne
I can't wait for this wedding!! We are going to have so much fun! This entire shoot was nothing but the 3 of us goofing off. And this, of course, ALWAYS makes for fun interesting photos.
They told me I was the last photographer they met with & they knew the instant we starting talking that I was their perfect fit. I love couples who KNOW they don't want the expected traditional shots but rather a creative interpretation of the action & emotion of the day. That's what I do! This is why I love my job!It took Ashlee (notice the awesome spelling of her name) a little while to find her comfort with the camera & once she did- WOW, it was amazing! She took my suggestions & ran with them. Sorry you were just a prop Billy, but it led to some amazing shots :) Thanks for keeping us laughing. I truly look forward to sharing a part in your special day!

2008-04-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

Box of Rain - 4.30.08
Written by Ashlee

This last day of April has been amazing! Finally 80 degrees. I don't know if anyone else feels the same as I do, but I feel like we were cheated out of some 70 degree days this month! This has to be one of the coldest and wettest Aprils I can ever remember. According to Weather.com, we have had a total of 10.80 inches of rain this month, the average total is 3.78!! I'm just ready to wear t-shirts and flip flops....without a sweater.

I shouldn't complain though. It hasn't been so cold that I needed the heat so my electric and gas bills will be a welcome birthday gift in May. So in the spirit of saving money the Green Way, I'm writing to you today about Recycling the Rain.

According to an organization called Bridging the Gap, the roof of your house can receive anywhere from 600 to 1,000 gallons of water with just an inch of rainfall. This rainwater hits your roof, flows to the gutters, and pours out of the downspouts into your driveway or yard. The Kansas City area has an average of 37” of rainfall per year, so that means tens of thousands of gallons of water could be "harvested" and used on your garden or lawn, reducing flooding of some rivers and waterways such as the Blue River and Brush Creek.

Some reasons why you should consider a Rain Barrel:
1) Brings high quality H2O right to your yard. No chlorine and no calcium carbonate.
2) Diverts water that could potentially leak into your foundation away from your home.
3) Cuts down your dependence on the City water supply.
4) Keeps water where it is needed rather than sending it to the water treatment facility.

Rain Barrels are not just an old-fashioned relic from your great-grandmother's backyard anymore. People from all over town are starting to adopt the practice. There is actually a Rain Barrel Workshop in Kansas City that is sponsored by Bridging the Gap. The workshop costs $35 and includes all materials needed to make your own rain barrel.

More than likely there is plenty of rain in the forecast, so consider building yourself a rain barrel because it might just be the greenest and cheapest way to keep your yard the envy of the neighborhood.

~Ashlee

2008-04-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Michelle + James | 4.19.08
Written by Adrienne With the sickly sweet taste of cloves in my mouth (those who've experienced a 'dry socket' can relate to my ongoing torment) & the opposing wonderful scent of Spring in the air- we packed our gear & headed off to capture the gorgeous spring day that belonged to Michelle, James & their adoring families.Michelle's mom, Patty was full of pure wonderful emotion! So was her dad, Larry- Choo-cho! :)I simply adored the grooms amazing parents Antonio & Yolanda. I couldn't help taking portraits of them all day. So cute!!And these two were FULL of smiles during the ceremony! I had free access during the ceremony which provided plenty of opportunity for me to find some interesting angles. I'd find a great spot & then wait for the bride & groom to create a moment. These two were full of them!!We stopped in the park on our way to the reception at the Clubhouse on Baltimore in downtown Kansas City. Taking care of the first kiss as man & wife. The priest forgot to ask the groom to kiss his bride during the ceremony!!What a beautiful start to the Spring! I hope this wonderful weather continues. After a long hard winter, I am sooo unbelievably ready for a change in scenery. I won't miss shoveling snow- AT ALL!

Ceremony : Good Shepherd Catholic Church - Shawnee, KS

Reception : The Clubhouse on Baltimore - Kansas City, MO

Flowers : Dalton's Flowers - Overland Park, KS

Cake & Catering : Pampered Palate Catering - Overland Park, KS

Transportation : Crossroad Tours - Olathe, KS

2008-04-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

Earth Day 4.22.08
by Ashlee

There isn't a better day than Earth Day for a Green Living post! I woke up this morning, watched a Green Living program on HGTV, learned some interesting facts and then did some household shopping.

The program this morning was called "It's Easy Being Green" They gave lots of tips about small things you can do everyday to help out. One example is using a petroleum free lip balm. That sounds like common sense but petroleum is used in so many beauty products and you really have to read the small print on packaging to find out what chemicals you are using on your body.

Here is some common terminology:

Petrolatum - a solid, waxy petroleum derivative commonly known as petroleum jelly, paraffin jelly or Vaseline.
Petroleum products - the words paraffin, propylene glycol, ozokenite, isopropyl myristate, or anything with butyl or propyl in the name indicate that the product is made from petroleum.

I also found a website OrganicAuthority.com that states that a woman who wears lipstick on a regular basis will end up swallowing about 10 pounds of petroleum by-product during her lifetime due to the mineral oil used in lipstick production. I have done a tiny bit of research and it looks like Aveda has been phasing out the use of Parabens from their products and every new product released in the past 2 years have been paraben free. Go Aveda!

On a different note, I'm sure you all have noticed that various discount stores have started selling handled shopping bags to help us all solve the "Paper or Plastic" dilemma. Costco has incredible bags that are big enough for bulk purchases and today I saw that Wal-Mart has their own version that only cost $1! I bought 3 bags this morning and I intend on keeping these in my truck so that I have them when I make unexpected trips to the store. Adrienne and her husband introduced me to this idea and it's great. They come in handy for non-grocery uses as well such as bagging up packages to take to the post office and shopping at the mall.

It's a beautiful day and I hope that everyone takes a bit of time to do at least 1 Earth Friendly task and breathe some fresh air.

~Ashlee

2008-04-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

Amy + Erik :: 5 April 2008
by Ashlee

A beautiful start to Spring... it was a gorgeous day! The last time Adrienne photographed these two, they were bundled up in scarves and trudging through several inches of snow.
We rarely get a chance to spend "quality" time with the groom before the ceremony. Even though Erik was anxious to see his bride, he was surprisingly calm and smiley all day! I think he looks like James Bond in this shot.
The best thing about Amy and Erik's wedding was all of the smiles! Every single person we met had the biggest smile on their face. This is what is so fantastic about our job, what other occupation makes your jaw ache from smiling and laughing all day!

We took our new assistant with us on Saturday and that allowed me extra time to look for fun details at the reception. The shot below was one of our favorites. Beautiful sunset light was pouring in through an open window at the back of the room and it caught my eye instantly.

This young lady is quick! She was really shy at first but toward the end of the evening, she warmed up to us and danced for the camera..

Congratulations Amy and Erik, hope your trip to Portugal was amazing!
~Ashlee

Wedding Details:

Reception:: Oakwood Country Club Kansas City, MO
Church:: St. Andrew's Episcopal Church Kansas City, MO
Flowers:: Beco Flowers Kansas City, MO
Entertainment:: Barclay Martin

2008-04-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Horrors of Dry Socket
by Adrienne

I was doing well, keeping up with work last week & I was starting to feel like myself by Thursday. Ashlee & I finished a few albums, edited several events, booked a few new clients- things were looking good... I almost felt like myself again.

Then Friday arrived & I began to ache, the pain progressively worsened as the day wore on...

I wrote in jest about dry socket- that couldn't happen to me. I'd taken every precaution. I thought I'd overcome the worst of this ordeal... I was very, very wrong.

Facing my fears...
And they were realized.
Day 6, I developed a dry socket in my lower jaw. Great!! and from what I've read online, I have nothing to look forward to except mind wrenching pain for days-

This definitely puts things in perspective.
I spent Saturday writhing in pain & my hubby called the doctor on call, Dr. Thomas . He came into the office to ease my suffering & I am ever so grateful that he did. Can I say this man is wonderful?? He was incredibly kind & understanding. He didn't make me feel guilty for stealing his Saturday with my pain.

He packed the socket & relief came...
SEVEN hours later...

I wrote a poem in my angst last night- perhaps I'll share at some point- needless to say it's been a rough weekend. The throbbing in my head currently lies dormant but I wait in fear of its exhausting return-

In other GOOD News- The Photogirls now have a blog! That should be fun to check out:

No worries, we will be back posting the fun shared with Amy & Eric soon enough. You guys have to give me a break on this one! I'm not doing so hot these days...

2008-04-11T10:58:00.000-07:00

Amy + Eric :: Anxiously Waiting...

I know you are anxiously awaiting the post for Amy & Eric's wedding from April 5th! We're still catching up on all of our events from the week & promise a post soon enough.

Here's a little teaser for ya!

Sorry the colors are off- I am posting remotely from my laptop!

2008-04-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Jade + John :: EngagementThis is just one of the many weddings I am excited to be working with Cindy Patricks on this year. Cindy is a coordinator that accepts weddings on a referral only basis & limits herself to no more than 6 weddings a year! I am thrilled to be working with her several times this year.It was supposed to raining the morning of our shoot- but we braved the weather & were rewarded with some really beautiful light! And check it out- the first blooms of the season.
Is it really going to snow again this weekend??? I'm just so ready for some constant Spring weather!!

2008-04-08T11:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Grandparents :: Meet the entire Cash Family
(and learn why I can't escape from dentists!)

Overjoyed grandparents! In the last two months, they've had two new additions to their family.I've had the privilege of working with this family before. I photographed Shay when she was pregnant with her first child, Graham (pictured below). And a couple of weeks ago, I was happy to spend an afternoon capturing Tara & her brand new baby boy, Nathan (pictured with the grandparents above).

The entire family! We took these portraits only a few hours before Dr. Jerry Cash was awarded orthodontist of the year by UMKC. I had the honor of capturing this important week for the Cash family. Look at all of those perfect teeth! It was easy to see why Jerry was awarded such a high honor. He shows genuine love & care, not only for his patients, but also to his incredible staff. They were all there to support Dr. Cash & it was great to see what a wonderful team he has built as well as how many lives he has impacted through his work.

2008-04-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Get Rid of Those Teeth!
(day 2 of my 'wise' Saga)

I'm not going to lie.
This was to be my first sedation & surgery of any kind. So I admit, I bawled like a baby on the way to Dr. Oakley's office Monday morning. The anxiety was building & I couldn't control my fears of the unknown...

Needless to say, the anticipation was much greater than the reality at hand. And no matter how I tried to calm myself, I couldn't gain control the fears that I'd harbored since childhood. The waterworks flowed & I was more embarrassed than afraid once we arrived at the office. The staff was incredibly friendly & made me feel comfortable despite the predicament I was in... before I knew it, the IV was in & I was fading away.

When I awoke, my mouth was full of cotton & I couldn't feel a thing- including my lips. I was in & out of consciousness, waking only to ask if my husband had gotten my teeth. He simply laughed at this request.

Being the workaholic that I am, I've realized that the worst part is attempting to relax afterwards to reduce my chances of dreaded 'dry socket.' And I had no clue I would be forbidden access to a tooth brush for days!

I can barely open my mouth & I'm on a mostly liquid diet which I hope will result in losing a few pounds. But I am absolutely starving, day dreaming of hamburgers & such!! The slight ache is constant & more prominent in the lower jaw but overall it's not nearly as bad as I anticipated. The surgery went off without incident & I'll be just fine in a week or so.

I twiddle my thumbs in boredom, edit on my laptop & write what I hope you all find to be a humorous blog, at my expense of course!

Again, what we expect is always a bit different than what is real!

2008-04-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

My Time Has Finally Come....
Those dreaded Wisdom Teeth have got to go-

I remember hearing stories about this when I was a kid.
Horrible Stories.
Dry socket, bleeding, oozing... the list continues.

I was told almost everyone has to have the surgery when they are 18. As a kid, I hoped I'd fall into that 'almost' category. I was terrified & I thought, 'When I turn 18, it will be different. I won't be scared. And perhaps I won't need to have them removed after all.'

But my day has finally come. The upper tooth, which reared it's ugly head 2 years ago, decided to take a turn into my cheek. Yikes! That bugger is sharp!

In my consultation with the surgeon, he looks at my x-ray & says:
'You really should have had these removed when you were 18, you know?'

'Yes, I know! But I'd still rather not have them removed at all!' I laugh. I am joking. But I am really not.

We scheduled my surgery according to my schedule. After a week of back to back shoots & 12 days before my next wedding- we planned to get rid of these pesky teeth. (Ashlee will be busy blogging to catch everyone up-to-date with our shoots while I'm out this week!)

So after years of agonizing over this particular subject, I will have three 'wise teeth' removed tomorrow. But let me tell you- I feel no wiser, no less anxiety & still no less concern than when I was merely a child.

Oddly enough, I spent last week photographing the Midwest Dental Convention! How ironic!

2008-03-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

Website Redesign :: A New Gallery of Images

It was a busy weekend! Friday was the big interview with Shutterbug Radio (I'll have a direct link soon) & since it's been over a year since I've updated my website... I decided it was time for an all consuming redesign.
This is when I lock myself in my office & don't come out for a few days. I often forget to eat! (Gotta LOVE slimfast, fast & easy) I design in HTML & don't have any skills of a 'Flashy' nature :) Maybe one day you'll see us with a flash website, but for now it's imagery created in Photoshop followed up with HTML design in Dreamweaver-
Click here to start viewing the changes!

And if you haven't already noticed, the studio is growing & we are revamping the blog! Ashlee & I have big plans for the year and this will be THE place to learn about client incentives, BIG sales & excited offers. We're blogging regularly to keep everyone excited & in touch with what's going on! A big thanks to Melissa Jill for some fabulous headshots. Since her shots received the most votes, you'll be seeing them around.

So stay tuned to the blog. And if you are not yet a subscriber-
Check out Google Reader, it's an amazing tool that's changed my life!!

Thanks Rebecca :)

2008-03-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

Go Green :: Spring Cleaning the "Green" Way.

Each Spring when the temperature starts hitting the mid 60's, I just have an urge to break out the flip flops, open all of the windows and clean, clean, clean. I pull everything from every cabinet, closet & drawer then start getting rid of the clutter.

So, this past weekend I was working on my bathroom and realized that I had quite a few bottles of unused prescription medication that I had no idea how to dispose of. I started thinking to myself, what would Adrienne do???

Last year, Adrienne started a Green campaign in her personal life and since we spend an enormous amount of time together, this of course spills over into my personal life. It's been pretty easy really, we sort the Studio trash for recyclables, we took our names off of catalog distribution lists and we share magazines with each other to reduce paper waste, etc.

Back to the medicine waste-
I was at a loss because as a pet owner, I know that I can not throw this stuff in the trash and as a human that consumes tap water, I know it can't be good to dump it down the kitchen sink. So I did a little research and I found a study which reports that a broad range of drugs have been found in the water supply for 41 million Americans!! The actual health impact of these findings are still under investigation but just think, if half the American population dumps old pain pills or hormone replacements down the drain, it can't be good for the environment!

Almost every website I have found suggests that old medication be returned to the pharmacy so that it can be recycled or disposed of properly. That is the only solution that makes sense to me.

Here are some links that I found online:
Organic Picks
Florida Dept of Environmental Protection
Canada.com
Happy Spring Everyone!

Ashlee

2008-03-28T16:06:00.001-07:00

Whooa! Thanks for all the hits on the website today guys!!

Unfortunately the Website is experiencing technical difficulties :(

We'll be back up & running shortly with a fresh NEW gallery of images.

I enjoyed my interview with Jack Warren today. He was very easy to chat with & said very kind things about my work (view the image selections here). I'll post the link to the show when it's available. I must admit, I get very nervous doing things like that.

I hope you'll forgive me if I stumbled here & there!

If you want to check out the Photogirls & their awesome work, all of their links are listed on the lower right-hand side of the page! Here are a few PG bloggings.

Sara & Mel of Whitebox weddings are the fab ladies that pulled Photogirls together. They Rock!! (And they are darn great cooks to boot!) They're latest post is a GREEN one, check it out.

And a BIG thanks to my girl Rebecca Peters for getting me to relax on the beach with the Photogirls in the first place!

2008-03-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Adrienne on the Radio!! :: Tune in this Friday!

Last week Adrienne received a call from Shutterbug Magazine Radio asking for an interview this coming Friday. Shutterbug Radio chooses to broadcast inspiring and educational interviews with World Class photographers and Photo Industry leaders. This interview is really an honor and we are very proud of Adrienne.You can listen to Adrienne live on Friday March 28th at 2:00 pm CST or 3:00 pm for the East Coasters.
All you need to do is to click here and then click on the yellow box that says "Listen Live". If you are unable to listen live, the interview will be on the show page by late Monday the 31st along with a few of Adrienne's images.

So everyone join me in Congratulating Adrienne and leave some Comment Love!

Ashlee

2008-03-23T12:32:00.000-07:00

Julianne + Rich :: EngagementThese two kept me laughing the entire time!! Seriously, my face hurt- but that's a good thing:) It means we got a ton of great shots, and had a great time doing it. I love this shot of Julianne grabbing Rich! She had just said something playfully insulting & Rich gave her a playful pout right back-

I hope you guys were able to get that China pattern picked out! I'm sure it was hard to concentrate after our 'hour of laughs'.

2008-03-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Traveling Gnome... in Las Vegas.
Ashlee brought this little guy.
I thought it was hilarious...
My First time in Vegas-
Can be summed in three:
And that simply is- 'Waiting to see...'
I hurry up & wait, & then
stand in line...
Crowds of loud outrageous people,
pushing to see-
I'm not so sure 'Las Vegas'-
is the right place for me!