Do you understand what it is like to look at sunlight and just feel a burst of sheer ecstasy and inspiration? Or, the level of nerdery you can reach when looking at an image on a 3-inch LCD screen?

Megan totally gets it.

Like myself, Megan owns her own photography business (Megan Yanz Photography). She sees the world through a crazy set of eyes, and loves every minute of taking the everyday stuff and making it into something spectacular…and just completely geeking out about it in the process. Thank you Megan for showing me this rad (secret) location, sharing amazing light, chai frappuccinos….and a hatred for gazebos.

A year ago in a small coffeeshop, a boy in a sang the Foo Fighter’s “Everlong” to a girl….

I was fortunate enough to hang out with them while they had a little tea party for-two along Lake Mendota (and oh my goodness, it was such a lovely day). I was reminded of the simplistic, effortless bliss one can experience when crazy for another person–something spectacular. We all are individuals, with individual lives and individual goals. We come first in our lives. Jess & Brian are both pursuing graduate programs, Jess’ program will be out-of-state in South Carolina starting this fall. They make it work, like it isn’t a problem….and they have so much fun just living and breathing every moment of life into their lungs. Brian was gutsy enough to wear bright yellow five-fingered shoes to the session today…so much comfort in one’s own skin. They complimented Jess’ grey flats with vintage rose-colored flora flats quite nicely. Pulling. it. off. I envy and admire their easy-going, fun-loving outlook on life.

October 6 will be awesome.

Many of us find ourselves in transition these days. Whether it be a cause of our economy, or life’s trials in general.

Needless to say, we’ve all been there.

Eric is an individual that is turning this aspect of his life into pure ambition. He wants to be a journalist, and a stellar one at that. As he put it: Handsome, yet awesome, yet hilarious. I’m going to get a scolding for writing that, but who cares.  He’s putting himself out there and working his butt off to get what he wants. If that isn’t admirable, I don’t know what is.

I sprawled myself across two seats using my backpack as a pillow on the bus back from Milwaukee early this morning. I took a little nap.

Upon returning to the city, I barely stopped home before getting into Chris’ Nissan and going on one of our photo-adventures. This morning was a revisitation of a spot we stopped by this past winter. The last time I saw the Lodi Marsh, it was a monochromatic landscape under a fine sheet of snow.  This time there was green amongst the brown, and with the seasonal change things become alive again. I found myself in a completely different place than I had seen this winter.

Also, the best BLT (with avocado) ever is served by Downtown Coffee Grounds in Lodi, WI.

It’s a day to play pranks and pass off stories of trickery.  I wanted none of that today. I didn’t fool around.

I simply came back to Milwaukee again to see art, and flowers. Two of my very favorite things.

Every year in the spring, for only four days, the Milwaukee Art Museum holds an event where floral designers create floral arrangements based off of various works of art at the museum. Some pieces focused on simply the color, others tried to directly mimic the artwork, and others strove to capture an emotion and environment evoked within a piece of art.

Naturally, I had to bring a camera with me and capture all that I could of Art In Bloom. I had never been to this event before, and all I can say is that I was absolutely in love with everything about it–the colors, the  fragrant smells, the abundance of creativity and inspiration. The last three photos are of my favorite piece–a very natural, peaceful, dream escape environment within a small glass box. With the changes with every season and life, sometimes all we need is an escape. Art is mine.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out….

….

I don’t know what will happen.

Perhaps I can embrace the beauty of uncertainty.

There is a funny story to how these pictures came to be. A very nerdy story.

I am visiting my family in Menomonee Falls this weekend, and naturally I had to go grab a coffee with one of my best girls, Clarissa (fantastic beauty consultant and photographer, btw). We had originally planned to shoot today–but with life being as busy as it is we realized it wouldn’t happen as we were losing light. We pulled into the Starbucks parking lot, got out of the car, walked up to the door, and turned around briefly. We saw light, and figured we at least had five minutes. We got back into the car, crossed the street and shot.

These were the results.

The evening ended with discussion of photography and camera nerdery, green tea, and reconnecting with an old friend who has not lived in Menomonee Falls as long as I have. Lovely coincidences, lovely people, lovely tea. I am on a happy cloud.

How do I begin to describe my envy of this man’s creativity and imagination.

The Forevertron is the world’s largest scrap-metal sculpture. Tom Every aka “Dr. Evermore” worked on this wonder as well as other various sculptures that can be seen at his art park in North Freedom, WI from 1982-2010. The park contains a science fiction landscape, bird orchestra, alien insects and bugs, and more. The thought is that through the spaceship guns and the egg chamber center of the sculpture, the doctor could create a magnetic force lightning beam to send himself to the heavens. Onlookers Queen Victoria and Prince Albert would watch from the Teahouse above.

For myself, it is a wonder for an artist and a lover of science fiction to behold. His wife Eleanor watches over his creations while he turns to focus on his health. She too, is an artist–and the park is her labor of love as well.

Well…I was hoping for more entries to make this contest more exciting (seriously–$200ish in prizes…you all must not like cupcakes or something! Haha), there were three entries who are sweet and want some pretty sweet stuff! Here they are!

Entry #1: This photo was submitted by Sarah. The photo is of her 1 1/2 year old daughter, Allie.

Entry #2: This photo was submitted by the girl in the picture, and apparently major cupcake enthusiast, Jessica.

Entry #2: This photo was submitted by Amanda–another self-portrait. She wants to win this contest for her nephew.

Alright ladies, the game is ON!  How does this work? It’s easy! Follow the steps via PunchTab below:

If you did not enter the contest with a photo before 2/29–even if you try to enter on here–I will not accept your entries. Do Sarah, Amanda, and Jessica a favor by either voting via blog comment (just list the photo #) or the personal link they received upon entering that you can click on through Facebook or Twitter.

What do they win?

Emily Bee Arts Photoshoot ($110 value) – They’ll receive a gift card in the amount of $110 for a Haiku Portrait Session.

Accordion Book ($75 value) – They get a business-card sized “brag book” with 10 of their favorite images from their shoot.

Gift Certificate / Madison Sweets ($20 value) – $20 for cupcakes!!!