Pikorua. A Maori word symbolizing the strength and beauty of friendship and two lives becoming one. The perfect word, then, for Kinsi to describe her feelings for her new husband, Jeff. Fitting, too, for a couple who learned to love one another by way of a long-distance relationship.
“Gail, will you work out with me tonight?” he asks. “It’s just, you know, we bought these tapes and you said you’d do them with me and it’s cardio tonight and…”
Every ounce of me that’s been pummeled by a week with shoot after shoot on top of a day job on top of an overwhelming urge to sneak into my PJs and eat ice cream screams no, but I relent.
“Yesssssssssss…Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Awesome! You’re the best wife ever. Seriously, you are. Like, just the best wife ever. You know that right?”
And so it is that my husband is easy to please in this department, thoroughly enjoying those 60 minutes we spend together sweating it out most every night of the week. And so it is I relish the way that, when I don’t think I can do one more stinking wimpy girl push-up, when I’m screaming at the TV screen “I HATE YOU TONY HORTON,” when he hears me and says in return, “Babe you can do it….just give it one more try. Push yourself,” I fall in love with Nick all over again.
That, my friends, is why I let an insane workout routine called P90x into my house.
See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.
Whew! What a week! I’m in New York City this week for a workshop on social media for my day job but I didn’t want to let my travels stand in the way of posting a sneak peek from a fun engagement session I just did with Sarah and Adam! These two are so sweet and comfortable with one another. I can’t wait to show more!
But for now…. back to the Big Apple :)
See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.
A peek at some of the stuff I’m loving as of late:
1) Simply Vera Vera Wang dress pants from Kohl’s
These pants float my boat in a major, major way. With wedding season in full swing, I’m donning a pair every weekend and I love how well they are made, how they fit, how they’re not 100 percent sweat-inducing polyester. And the best part? I’ve washed my pairs (yes, I have several, I love ‘em that much) multiple times and they come out of the dryer every single time with a crease that would leave a seamstress at an ironing board breathless.
2) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
This book was SO fascinating. It’s the story of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman and mother of five who died in 1951 of cervical cancer. Doctors took pieces of her tumor without her consent and those cells (known as HeLa cells) launched today’s multi-billion biotech industry. Lacks’ family never saw a dime from their mother’s medical contributions and none of them could afford their own health care. Skloot poured her heart and soul into this book and earning this family’s trust and my respect for her as a journalist makes this one of the best works of non-fiction I’ve ever read.
3) Stacy’s Pita Chips and Sabra Hummus
There are folks out there who open say, a bag of Doritos or a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and find they can’t stop eating until the bag or carton is empty. That’s kind of how I feel about these chips and this hummus. Gooooooooooooodddddd stuff!
4) New albums from Josh Ritter and The National
Two of my favorite musical artists released new albums in May. Josh Ritter‘s folk-rock sound steals my heart (if you’re a Dylan or Springsteen fan, you’d love him) and if you’ve never heard the baritone of The National‘s lead singer Matt Berninger, then you’re missing out on one of the most unique and distinctive voices in music today.
5) Escalate Live
A two-day conference with the likes of Dane Sanders, Becker, Jasmine Star, Jessica Claire and Jerry Ghionis? Count me in! Well, “in” thanks to their free Web stream. Because I missed out on a lot of it, I’m checking out the video on demand option so I can watch (and rewatch) this crew give out a healthy dose of advice and encouraging words. If you need your own nuggets of inspiration, vision and creativity, you should check it out too!
See more of Gail’s work at www.gailwernerphoto.com. Friend Gail on Facebook. Follow Gail on Twitter.
There are certain couples with whom you click in a profound way. And there are weddings that—for whatever the reason may be—you will never forget, no matter how many more you shoot. For me, that couple was Kinsi and Jeff; that wedding being the one I witnessed from behind my viewfinder on Saturday as these two said their vows under a soft drizzle of rain.
From all their home-spun, handmade details (Ball jars and daisies and handmade place cards!) to their laidback, breezy attitudes (I have seriously NEVER been so relaxed shooting a wedding; at one point, I realized we were just chatting and hanging out because we were having such a great time and everyone was so chill), I loved everything about this day.
And I can’t wait to share more of it with you but for now, a sneak peek for the couple. Just in case they happen to have Internet in whatever coastal bungalow they may find themselves in as they honeymoon in Costa Rica :)
At one point, I stopped shooting, looked at these two and with all the sincerity I could muster said, “I feel so lucky to have such beautiful clients”. SERIOUSLY HOW GORGEOUS ARE THEY?
MUCHHHHHHHHHHHH more to come from this pair!
