So for those of you who took the time to check out Michele and Eric’s gorgeous wedding last week, you may have noticed the new twist I’m offering for my clients and that’s sharing their story in a new, unique and creative way.

I believe everybody loves a good love story. That, whether they realize it or not, everybody HAS a good love story. They just don’t always know it should be told. And that’s where I hope to come in.

If you didn’t know this about me, I was a journalist before I left the industry to work in communications for my alma mater, Ball State, and, in the process, pursue photography. For six years, every day I banged out stories about people like Larry Matteson and Brenda Englehardt. And truth be told, I loved it—all of it, from getting to know people to learning about them to sharing their stories in the paper. And while I may have quit being a professional journalist, I’d go on to discover that being a journalist didn’t quit me.

Recently, I’d given a lot of thought about how I could bring a part of my past back to my present. A few months ago, while I was riffling through a box of stuff from MY wedding, I came across Nick and I’s story. When Nick’s family wrote this sweet article, had it printed up and then placed at the tables of everyone at our rehearsal dinner, I thought it was the sweetest thing. So perfect for two people who met and fell in love all because of a newsroom.

Coming across this slip of paper couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. With my yearning to be a storyteller once more, in that moment, I knew this was what I wanted to do for my clients too.

To my current and future couples and families who decide to share their stories with me, I hope you appreciate this keepsake from your session with me. Maybe you’ll put it out for display in your home, telling your family and friends the story about how your story was shared by me. Or maybe, like my own version, yours gets tucked away in a keepsake box, a memory that surfaces every now and then to bring a smile to your face.

So that’s the story behind my passion for sharing stories and the catalyst for this new philosophy to my business. Now, who wants their story to be told next? :)

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

1) Philosophy’s Raspberry Sorbet body wash: Or, really, ANY product from this wonderful company. But when my pal, Joy, got me this body wash last month, it took but one sniff and a good scrub to fall in love. There’s a recipe for raspberry sorbet on the bottle and every morning in the shower, I re-read it. One of these days, I’ll have it memorized and go make it :)   

2) My Keel’s Simple Diary: Another fab birthday present that offers a twist on traditional journaling, it’s had me giggling lots in recent days. Consider the first entry, in which you’re asked the following:

Your day was (only choose one): (   ) a party.  (    ) a U-turn.  (   ) a smarty.

Or discovering quotes like this:

You like potato, I like potahto, we like French fries.

If you get one of these for a friend, I promise you you’ll be that cool gal who gets remembered as the person who giveth the best gifts. In this case, Michelle, this happens to be you :)

3) Jamie Oliver & his Food Revolution: I know what you’re thinking … it’s not healthy for me to say I love another man the way I love Jamie Oliver ’cause, you know, I’m a MARRIED WOMAN. But when I make meals for Nick from Jamie’s Food Revolution cookbook, well, he’s all “I LOVE JAMIE TOO!” I’m working on getting him just as psyched as I am for Friday night’s 2-hour premiere of Jamie’s Food Revolution reality show on ABC. (and great news for non-cable folks, you can watch it online too!) I am a HUGE fan of what Jamie is trying to do in this country. Now that the First Lady is right there backing him up, I hope we start to see real change in this country as far as what we put on our tables. It’s time to teach everybody to cook for themselves. I’ll get behind that!

4) She & Him’s Volume Two: Good grief if I talk any more about this duo, I may have a restraining order slapped on me by Zooey Deschanel’s attorneys, but for real, I.cannot.get.enough.of.their.sound. If you swap out Bret and Jemaine for Zooey and M. Ward you’d have me as Mel from Flight of the Conchords. Stand-out tracks on their new album, Volume Two, (which dropped today): Thieves, Don’t Look Back, Home, Gonna Get Along Without You Now (ah-huh, mm hmm) 

5) Fantastic Mr. Fox: I know Up took home the Oscar, and I loved that film too. But in the high school cafeteria of the cartoon world, Up’s the school body president who’s also captain of the football team and pretty predictable in his Pixar-ness. Fantastic Mr. Fox, on the other hand, is that quirky fella with the guitar in the corner, who draws cool stuff in art class and comes up with the one-liners that make you laugh. I don’t purchase a lot of movies (let alone cartoons) but this one, out today on DVD, will make its way into the Werners’ DVD collection. One of the best films I saw in the theater in 2009.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

#60 Get letterpress business cards made

I’ve never been particularly proud to hand out my business cards for two reasons:

Reason No. 1: The first batch I ever made—the ones from WHCC that I was so happy to order, thinking they’d be perfect, until I realized the font I’d used was so teeny you’d need a microscope to even make out my name. Reason No. 2: The cards from Moo.com. The ones with words big enough to read, but not, apparently, all on the page thanks to a goof with the margins. So you could imagine how nervous I was to get new business cards made. And not just any kind of card, friends. No, we’re talking LETTERPRESS CARDS. THE BE-ALL, END-ALL OF BUSINESS CARDS.

If there were such a thing as The Paper Gods, I’m convinced they’d pass a creed that only letterpress be used for invitations to their soirees. And I’ve coveted something letterpress of my own for long enough that, once I found a company I felt good about and was a cost-effective option, I decided to pull the trigger, aim for the third time being the charm, and get my own simple, classy letterpress business cards made.

So thanks to The Mandate Press for making me a VERY happy girl with these new cards. And I’ll just give y’all a heads-up in advance that these business cards are ones I happen to be VERY PROUD OF. Which means you might be getting one of ‘em thrust into your hand if and when I meet you because I love ‘em that much. This includes you, Mr. Postman.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.

When I was 20, I thought cooking was what I was doing when I made Shake & Bake chicken and Rice-a-Roni for Nick and I’s first meal. In a house he shared with five other guys. (No visual cues needed for the state of that kitchen).

Eight years later and I’ve discovered what it truly means to cook a meal. To leave your mind on the other side of the table so you can hover over a counter to mince vegetables and herbs and measure spices and press garlic in peace. Who needs a therapist when you can have a cutting board?

I’m OCD in my kitchen (which has, if you notice, foam green metal cabinets—an original ’50s throw-back to our house that promptly helped us fall in love with it). When I’m responsible for a meal, I line up all my prep bowls just so, wipe down the counters between every task and read the recipe three times before I begin. It’s why, as much as I wish I could, I’d never be good as a professional chef. Or as a contestant on Hell’s Kitchen. But hey, a girl can daydream and sometimes, this is what she dreams about …

In my house, I’m in charge of what graces the dinner table. And to me, that’s the best part about cooking: Treating it more like a culinary adventure and less like a chore. So who’s coming over for dinner next? :)

Here’s a few must-haves for the Werner kitchen. Got any kitchen goodies you can’t live without that you want to share? Hit me up in the comments. ‘Cause I can talk about food, food prep and the merits of having a garbage bowl Rachel-Ray style any time :)

1) A great set of knives: We got this set of Henckels knives when we got married and they get used every day (sometimes to cut stuff not intended..ahem). If you want to get serious in the kitchen, having a good quality set of knives is essential (so, yeah, buying ‘em at Wal-Mart probably isn’t going to cut it. No, really, I mean that. Literally.)

2) Garlic press: Here’s the thing—do you NEED a garlic press? No. But owning one of these means you’re using fresh garlic in your food. Which means you’re cooking real, authentic food. Food that tastes good. And that makes you feel that much closer to Mario Batali (is there anyone else out there who has this on their Netflix the way I do? HA!)

3) Fresh lemons: This kind of comes back to Number 2. Having fresh lemons in the house brings zest to the kitchen. It’s like, you know how you feel better if you wear something nice outta the closet? Something a little peppier than the norm that, heck, maybe you even ironed first? Well, consider lemons that zippy addition to your kitchen’s wardrobe.

4) A good can opener: Okay, so let me tell you I’ve tried this both ways. Electric and with a $4 jobbie, and neither one stood up to the test of time. Until my friend Joy (who bought me that awesome apron you see in this photo) introduced me to the Oxo can opener. No more lids in the can, no more tiring myself out in the process (cut me some slack, I’m a leftie and they don’t make these things for us!). This is the best out there. And you thought people didn’t have an opinion about these things!

5) Preparation bowls: You know what makes these handy little bowls (perfect for pooling together the spices and chopped veggies and herbs you might need) even better? THEY DOUBLE AS MEASURING CUPS. Ladies, if you’re looking for a gift for a gal, I assure you, this is that “thing” your girlfriend doesn’t know she needs but once she has, she’ll use every day and think of you :) Having these around instantly makes cooking more fun, I promise.

6) My subscription to Cooking Light: I swear on a stack of these ‘zines that I’ve yet to make a bad recipe out of one of ‘em. Yummy meals made with real ingredients that are, no joke, lick-your-plate good. Like, the first time I ever made this, I’m not even kidding those were the exact words out of Nick’s mouth. He may have even said ‘em with his mouth full :) $10 for the year? TOTALLY worth it. Even if you only make one meal a month from its pages.

See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.