"i'm sorry ma'am, i don't know why it got turned off, but all we can offer are apologies."

within seven hours i thoroughly experienced bad, suck, cold and really awesome.

began with the gas company accidently turning my gas (heat source!) off while it was snowing outside. then the guy who came right back to turn it on deemed there might be a slow leak and until a plumber and landlord addressed it, he wouldn't turn it back on. (groooan.) this left me to seek warmer places for the baby to play and for me to work.

with the lovely aid of friends and my landlord's swiftness we're back in business and we're warm.

however, despite the truckload of errands i had to do this morning, and being forced out of my house because i am a tiny little woman with a tiny little kid and we require much heat, i sure got a lot done.

humongus thanks to those who helped us out today.

random pic of the day

daniel, serenading his true love, the computer. taken in the reflection of a mirror i found on the side of the road.

click the photo to better admire the texture of the glass.

rockstar

thank you david. love and miss you.

edit mountain

still working my way over the editing mountain. it's funny how my grandmother doesn't understand how i can be working if i'm not out there behind a camera. but my grandmother also doesn't understand why i don't have film in my camera.

i refuse to charge anyone for a mediocre photo. thus, edit mountain. totally worth it in the end.

i wonder how many other photographers workflow incorporates a three year old.

it was a fine day and the dishes can wait tonight.

because i can't click through photos all of the time (breaks for coffee making) the boy and i started a painting project. the kitchen table went from 5th hand ikea to a spunky green. there are preliminary light blue birds painted on the top. mucho touch ups to be done still. we're in drying mode now. it's dry. but, it's not "hard." this only makes sense in my painting experience. the finished product will be nifty.

carissabyers.com

carissabyers.com has a new look. still a bit in the making. the pretty slideshow that was to grace the homepage was sadly just-too-slow. my portfolio will match, as soon as i figure that out, as will this blog, with hope. then comes a re-make to the printed portfolio that is currently not current, same goes for the online stuff, fancy organized order brochures for photobooks to make it a heck of a lot easier on both myself and clients and a smaller book for all the wedding coordinators to show their clients instead of the, "hey, we know this great photographer, carissa . . ."

also, i may be keeping blogger comments instead of haloscan for simplicity's sake, but that also means i'll lose all of the lovely things you've written to me over the years. . .

many exciting things to come for the new year.

high 39/low 30; feels like 26

hell hath frozen over. it's still cold in texas. penn refuses to believe this is not snow. the dog has never wanted to stay outside so much in his whole life. maybe it's because i'm too cold/lazy to take the trash to the can and put it beside the back door.
probably can't read the above:

fact #241: putting trash by the door when it's raining is completely acceptable.
fact #242: bored, unwalked dogs will eat your trash.
fact #243: rain or shine, you will never want to pick that trash up.

high 33/low 23, feels like 14

it's cold in dallas. the back porch looks like it's going to eat us. the dog, whose bladder has always been a champ when it comes to any weather that's not 75 and dry, has now decided, on the coldest day of the year, that he'll aim more for most annoying four-legged creature ever and need to go in. and out. and in. and out. and whine. and paw. who knew those ears could stay perked in my direction for so long?
the baby, who has always been happy to roam comfortably naked in any temperature is now telling me in the middle of the night, in his sleep, when i accidently pull the blankets too much, "i need the blankets because it's cold! *mumbles* you've got to be kidding me." HA! he has always talked in his sleep, but last night he was sleep-laughing. funniest thing i've ever heard. tonight, as i was letting the dog out (again) i heard, "momma. mooommma." i walked into the bedroom to see the baby sitting up, eyes closed. i laid down and said, "what?" eyes still closed, baby still asleep, he said, "i love you. that's all."

currently wearing three shirts and missing central heat, but in love with my new electric blanket.

waaaaa

i envy the people who can shed a tear, wipe it away, and go on with their day. i'm one of those who can't lose the "crying face." my eyes get red, puffy, and they stay that way. despite the lack of mascara and makeup on my face i will still appear a bit streaked. i'm going to walk away appreciating every bit of darkness i get to duck into on my way to the bathroom and i'm going to fruitlessly take longer in there than any normal elimination would take, staring into the mirror, willing away the flourescent lights and the "crying face."

i haven't cried so much in a movie since "Beaches."

holycrap, "pursuit of happyness" is a good movie. was so grateful to snuggle with my kiddo in front of the heater tonight.

alternative motivation

alternative motivational posters are cool. i like courage and patience too.

wish list

1. new camera. Nikon D2Xs would be lovely, wouldn't it? ($ 4,245.95) i'd settle for the D200. ($ 2,249.95)
2. nikon sb-800 speedlight. the spring poking out of the side of my 600 is about to get embaressing. ($ 314.95 - $ 739.95)
3. oh, let's throw in a new lens while we're at it, eh? maybe the 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5D ED-IF AF Zoom-Nikkor. ($ 449.95) or maybe, the 85 mm 1.4. ($ 1,024.95)
4. a remote transmitter would be handy. (every one i look at is some dramtically different price!)
   
5. new umberella. ($ 21.95-infinity)
6. my very own studio, mine all mine. i think this would make a rad start. (from $900 mo.)
7. or, scratch that, my very own house, mine all mine. giant house that doubles for studio + living.
   
8. macbook 13 inch, white, 2.0GHz ( $1,299.00) or just anything presented at the mac keynote (pictured below and blogged here) 'cause that looks like the nirvana of geekdom, to me and makes me feel all tingly warm inside.
   

taking pictures is expensive! i could spend 15,000 in a blink. alas, we do what we can do. i'm happy to just keep on doing.

in no particular order

movies i haven't seen, but would like to.

Pursuit of Happyness
Little Miss Sunshine
Children of Men
Capote
Babel
The Illusionist
Half Nelson
United 93
Leonard Cohen: I'm your man
Click
Stomp the Yard
Bobby
Dream Girls
Charlotte's Web
Brokeback Mountain

some kids scare me

after saying "no" for the millionth time in a day or repeatedly raising my voice to assure the wee one that there are consequences to everyone's actions or promising him that there is no chance i am going to pick him up and let him bask in the comfort of the mommy hug as long as he is screaming like that, i start to wonder, "am i being too strict? he is only newly three, after all."

most of you haven't seen the part of me that raises my voice. that's just 'cause i've got one of those kids who's mostly an angel in public. lucky break.

i began assessing what the newly three is capable of. ALOT. i swear to you, he may be newly three but he can do anything around this house that i can. if i stretch it just a little, he can even make coffee and do laundry. totally serious. if he wakes up before me in the morning i find him relaxing in the bed with me, holding a bagel, sometimes even a little butter on it, with a cup of milk. i look at him and he says, "the sun is up. time to wake up. and i let ringo out to go potty." he might as well be peering at me over a new york times stock report.

but the daily basics, he can put his dishes up, put his trash in the can, let the dog out, feed the dog, put his clothes up, clean the table, etc. does he try and get out of each and every one of these things almost every single time? sweet jesus, absolutley.

am i bragging? hell yes.

because in my outs and abouts i have recently witnessed some of the most appaling behavior from children! 7-10 year old kids, even, telling their mom with much confidence what they will and will not do and moms grinning away at them as they saunter off in defiance.

Saunter. Off.

i wonder what those moms are really thinking. i wonder if they gave up. i wonder if they save the discipline for the privacy of their home. i wonder if they are as afraid as i am of their kids.

seeing all these "complicated" kids lately has really given me some perspective on penn and my mothering capabilities. i don't know how to be a mom. seriously, this has all been a giant day by day affair for all of us. but i do know that "no" means no, and "do this" means, without hesitancy or compromise you will absolutley do this.

i'm not giving advice here, i'm just saying some kids scare me.

at three penn can't control his emotions. there is a lot of crying in this house. but there is also a lot of teaching about how to express it. for example, the proper response to "no cookies right now," is not rolling on the floor, screaming your head off and hitting the dog.

i'm not really a judgeful mom. it's hard, people. the mothers in this world don't get enough credit and every kid is different. even if the world tried every day you might not be able to give mom's enough credit. i'm just curious about some of the kids i've seen. looking closely, maybe, so that i don't end up with that kid in the grocery screaming "NOOOOOO!" at his mom and walking off or the bully boy snatching kids toys and breaking them for fun. silent smiling moms standing by. supernanny, where are you?

this rant sponsored by the "ugly face" pictured above and the "foot stomp" both of which are not allowed unless we pull it out for a picture. sorry. i wouldn't let a grown man i don't know get away with that so there's is no way my own son is going to have the pleasure.

**sidenote: i've photographed a ton of kids the past three months, and i'm not talking about a single one of them here! thank goodness.

"one word: possibility"

little known fact: i'm totally addicted to time magazine. i have a 7 eleven routine that involves dumping the little car trash can, herding the kiddo through the parkinglot, and purchasing three small random things, one of which is always time and one of which is usually a redbull. sometimes, like the commercial promises, i need wings.

last week was the "person of the year" issue (person of the year=you, fyi) with an article in it entitled "power to the people" listing off examples of how "the people" now control the media. examples where blogs and photos and videos have become important.

i've been down with the blog and photo bit for a while, but youtube has never gained much attention from me other than the here and there stuff of folks i actually know or the moments of geeks gathered around a laptop to share a giggle. while seeking out this guy (wow) i decided to check out a few of the others in the article.

it's an interesting era we live in. and i think the girl who made this video, 8 years my junior, is absolutely beautiful. her answer to why she wakes up in the morning is part of the simple universal truth to our questions about happiness and if she has that so genuinely now, can you imagine what she will teach us all in ten years? bravo.

in the year of ultimate connectivity i think the debates about how connected that really makes us is starting to shift towards the younger view of "more" over "less." and with that shift we are seeing more meaningful content. we're expressing more and forwarding (gag) less. npr recently commented on how, thanks to the many outlets of the internet, as a society we are writing now more than ever.

the internet has made everyone important. this video is an example of why that's going to be such a good thing.

"all we are saying . . .

is give peace a chance."

these two are not photoshopped. can't wait to get my new lens on some people.

not bocce

i heart scrabble. even without vowels.
i also heart rainy drives home with my camera on the dash in the windshield while i'm driving down streets with pretty lights. click here to see a few more.

breakfast

coffee, mouse and editing list. cell phone ringing not shown.

07 calendar

every year i make a calendar of penn's photos as a christmas present to the family. this years will be a little late, but at least it's done!

but, at 25 a pop, it can add up quickly and i'm not quite a bank just yet. so if i told you that your calendar was in the mail then you were among the chosen very few. if you haven't heard anything from me and would like to purchase your own you click



and for those still inquiring about the "overlooked" series, there is a calendar available featuring some of these photos as well.
click to purchase.

links to calendar purchases are also available at www.carissabyers.exposuremanager.com.

o-possum!

the couch begged me to lay down on it after eating far too much of the yummiest fruit salad ever. benji came over to play with penn so i napped away, as if there was any other choice. through the veil of sleep i heard him say goodbye and close the door. the next thing i heard was ringo barking excitedly. . . .in the house. then penn called me using the quiet-creepy-scary-movie tone, "mommy. . . .come heeeerree. . . ."

i followed the creepy voice and found ringo on the bed barking and penn, grinning, two feet away from a hissing opossum curled up in the sheets fallen in dissaray from an episode of "jump-on-the-bed."

THERE WAS AN OPPOSUM IN MY BEDROOM!!!!

which was totally hard to grasp when i was still sort of asleep.
so i called benji and told him he was the official opposum-getter-outter. meanwhile i tried to figure out the best shooing-out method and whether or not i should let the dog be involved. then jonelle reminded me that it may not "shoo, " since they're instinct is to "play possum."

benji came back and, as you can tell, had the opposum-getting stance down pat. he lovingly placed a blanket over the opposum which did, conveniently, "play dead." for some reason i was totally thrilled at getting to watch the undomesticated wild work in my bedroom!
then we scooped him up and put him in the back yard where he still refused to move in our presence although there was much evil eyeing and teeth baring.
i think it's weird how many opposum moments i've had. there are pictures of those too, somewhere. personally, i think they're rather cute; soft, geometric, nifty half-toned ears and perfect eyeliner. penn likes them too and wanted it to sleep with us. ringo wanted it to play and the cat was completely indifferent. their tail, on the other hand, is completely disgusting.

they come with a lot of myths and no one can ever remember what to call them. i think in the states they are technically "opposums" with "possum" actually being a different type or breed in australia?

mythbuster: Opossums have a remarkably robust immune system, and show partial or total immunity to the venom of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and other pit vipers.[1][2] Thanks to their lower blood temperature, rabies is almost unknown in oposums.[3]---wikipedia

coolfact 1: Opossum was once widely consumed in the United States where available as evidenced by recipes in older editions of The Joy of Cooking.

coolfact 2: Opossum fur is quite soft, and was once commonly used in the bathtub as a sponge. (ewww.)

flashback; 2006

in january i wrote this and we brought home ringo.

in febuary i hung and showed "overlooked."

in march i was asked to donate a piece to the international rescue comittee.

in april penn and i went to the global night commute.

in may we attended some rally's on "a day without an immigrant."

in june i shot the first new packaging for ellaroo.com, took on another job , quit after a week and a half, and showed "light sketches" in the 6x6 art show.

in july i signed the lease for this duplex, shot lionheart apparel's new line and felt inspired.

in august penn got a mohawk and catfish died in a hit and run.

in september sj, hal and i shot the democratic resistance rally at the gypsy tea room.

in october someone broke into my car. twice.

in november there was art conspiracy and my mother and brother visited. (nope, no pictures yet, mom.)

in december penn had his first dentist appointment , i got older and worked harder than i've ever worked before on weddings, portraits and a bunch of commercial stuff.

it is now technically january of 2007. holywow.

i canceled my plans to babysit the semrad spawn who probably have mixed feelings about me right now since my quiet little voice seems to offer zero impact on any situation, i stopped the oh-so-one-sided puppy play, turned the movie off early 'cause who can hear over the crying anyway?, and then, after a fabulous bout of musical beds and nightlights decided to just take penn out to sleep with me on the futon to eliminate any need for any more decision making. priority number one when when you're young: everyone has to have matching cups and surely there is evil in you somewhere if all the plastic cups in your cabinet don't match. obviously i suck at sleepovers and can only cross my fingers in the current quiet that they don't think i'm a big ole un-fun meanie in the morning.

it has been an eventful year and i am happy and looking forward to 07. i can hear celebration all around me, but i wish it wasn't in the form of a million gunshots. (happy new years bullets) i'm too tired right now to bring anything in with a bang right now, but promise to try again later. *smile*

*note to internet un-savvy folks (namely grandma), blue words=links. click 'em.