Personal

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas | Minnesota Seasons | Personal

 

The first major snow of 2015 has hit st paul and everyone has slowed down to admire it that's why all the roads are so slow today. ;) (Due to my beloved snow, my bus was 20 minutes late,thankfully my boss understood because his bus was also late) I honestly believe that the cold is not worth it if there is no snow. In my college years, I schooled in South Carolina at a small college that whenever you tell people they give you a funny look and an awkward chuckle because of its foreign nature. South Carolina during winter is the kind of cold that seeps into your bones but it doesn't snow. No Snow = not worth it. Whereas in my dear Minnesota I can bare all the below freezing as long as the world looks white outside my light blue windows. 

upload.jpeg

One thing I am looking forward to for this holiday season is grabbing our Christmas tree. We did not make our usual journey north this year so I think we will ended up getting on of the trees kiddie corner from my bus stop. I was thinking of doing just a small one for this year.  I love shooting photos with Christmas trees and lights; this time of year just has the glow and warm fuzzy feelings that no other holiday contains. 

Concerts Galore | Nightmare Before Christmas with Minnesota Orchestra | Personal

In college we had concerts all the time. These concerts were conservative, orchestral, and mandatory, which for any college student on the verge of drowning under a sea of assignments was burdensome. Once I finished up with college I was officially concerted out and i was determined not to go to another one unless it was something I really wanted to listen to.

  Fast forward to this weekend. The Minnesota Orchestra played to the movie Nightmare Before Christmas in Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis. My sister and I have been looking forward to this concert for months; both movie lovers and big Tim Burton fans it seems like the perfect way to enjoy halloween. My expectations for this concert were just the MO playing the soundtrack while I enjoyed listening to while scrolling on my phone.  Reality: they played to the movie on a wide screen. So even our nosebleed seats in the uppermost part of the theater we could enjoy the movie. I was more than a little taken back but I loved it! Even though I didn't see Danny Elfman sing in person (for a minute I thought was going to happen) I was able to watch a movie the way they used to be watched in the days where a full orchestra was mandatory for a movie event. From one movie lovers to another this is a must do for a movie. So if you are available, I know they are doing Home Alone this November. 

Sunday comes around and we have another orchestral concert with a famous Tenor, Anthony Kearns.  My sister has played Viola her whole life and just recently she found the St. Croix Valley Symphony Orchestra , which she has excitingly been able to perform in. So after church and lunching with my parents, Marcus and I sat in the second row to watch. I was blown away by this singer; it was a beautiful and quality performance from both the orchestra and Mr. Kearns. My favorites were Danny Boy (irish folk song) and Bring Him Home (from my favorite musical- Les Miserables) ; I would be lying if I said i didn't tear up at each of these numbers.

Once we had clapped our hearts out until our fingers stung, I turned to Marcus,  and whispered in his ear that I think we are good on concerts for at least 3 months.

Fall Favorites | Get To Know Your Photographer | Personal

As Fall is here, here are a couple of things I enjoy the months before the first snowfall. Autumn makes me want to cuddle up in one of my micro fleece blankets with a cup of hot apple cider. In the fall season everything is apple flavored. If you were to give me a choice of what food I would choose to eat everyday for the rest of my life, it would be Granny's apples! I don't know where this love affair started but It is definitely a staple in my life! So as the leaves start changing colors, my family goes to an apple orchard to pick apples. In Stores, apple flavored everything hits the shelves and most of them ended up in my shopping cart. Tip: For those Caribou Lovers out there you have to try : Hot Apple Blast. Trust me in this one, it is Heaven in your MOUTH!

 I love having bonfires, smores, wearing comfy clothes, and cute boots. All these things just make you feel cozy! Just this past weekend I was able to snuggle up with my hubby at our small backyard bonfire and talk about what we want to happen in the next couple of months. I don't know why but fall and summer beaches are really the only times bonfires are appropriate to me. 

 There has also been new TV series I have really started to love which is Scream Queens on FOX. Scream Queens is basically Glee humour and American Horror Story's horror. It keeps me laughing and asking...Who is the Red Devil!? #Stillwaitingformychaneloween

 

A couple of details that I love about my 2015 fall - I finally got the Brownlee Kelly moore bag! I am so in love with it that I am just excited for my next photo shoot so that I can use it!
Lastly this fall marked my one year anniversary with my hubby. I got to say I love being married to him. This year's anniversary ended up being a two day celebration with good food, funs cards, and us finding our dream couch that we cannot afford. And the whole time an am thinking I am so grateful that this man is mine.

There is no such thing as a bad cozy
— Marcus Ray