1) “Drive”: After Nick and I saw this new flick in the theater earlier this month, I posted to Twitter: “Pretty in Pink” + “Scarface”=”Drive.” It was a 1980s look and feel with a bunch of gore but, most importantly, RYAN GOSLING. Friends, that name right there is really all you need to get me to the theater. And believe it or not, hot as he is, I love Ryan most because of what a phenomenal actor he is. He’s got mystery and, in this film, he’s got it in spades. Can make for a great date flick…as long as you have the stomach for a head bashing or two.

2) “Friday Night Lights”, the TV series: Wayyyy back when, in a land we shall call 2006, I started to watch this new show on NBC called “Friday Night Lights”. Then NBC moved it. Then it went off NBC. And that’s about when I lost touch with ‘ol FNL. Cue this year, the end of its final season, everybody and their brother’s tweets about how great a series it was and then, seeing the fella who plays Landry (Jesse Plemons) playing in a band when I was out in LA last month, and I knew I needed to get Nick and I back on the band wagon. We’ve spent so many nights this month curled under a blanket with the laptop after dinner, catching up on this show. Never mind the fact my husband has taken to ending his emails, “Clear minds, full hearts, can’t lose!” If you’re a FNL fan, you get it. And if you’re not, well, trust me, you should be already.

3) Green smoothies: I’ve been a pretty big fan of Melissa Jill’s green smoothie for some time now. But lately, my new favorite green concoction is a recipe I snagged off Jules of Pancakes and French Fries (which happens to be one of my favorite non-photographer blogs—check her out…she’s funny and smart and about as down-to-earth as you can get). I know, I know..these drinks are GREEN. Ewwww….except, I’m all about being green. It’s like, I feel healthier just taking a whiff of this stuff. The fact I like the taste too? Even better!

4) “Rules of Civility” by Amor Towles and “The Language of Flowers” by Vanessa Diffenbaugh: I’ve had a good run in recent weeks of digging in to some wonderful books and these two quickly rise to the top for some of my favorite books in 2011. What “Rules” has going for it is an incredible time period (1930s NYC…in the words of Liz Lemon, ‘I want to go to there’) and a spunky female protagonist, Katy Kontent, whose wit keeps the pages turning. A full review for “Rules” is up on my GoodReads page. As for “Language,” I loved the uniqueness of this story—a down-and-out foster kid, Victoria has a way with flowers, understanding how they “speak” to people through the lost art of deciphering the Victorian message of flowers. The author is a foster mom herself, so I loved seeing how her life influenced her to pen this amazing debut novel. A full review for “Language” is up on my GoodReads page.

5) Wilco’s “The Whole Love”: I’ll be honest and say that “The Whole Love” is not my FAVORITE Wilco album, even if it is their newest release. No, for that, I turn to “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” which, truly is in, like, my Top 10 Favorite Albums of All Time. Like, my college experience set to an album. So if you’ve never heard of Wilco, start there. Specifically, with this song. But, any Wilco album is heads above what passes for music in a lot of genres out there today, so I’ll take “The Whole Love” and I’ll keep letting it grow on me. The stand-out track for me on this newest from Mr. Tweedy and his bandmates is “Open Mind.” The lyrics to that song? SO SO SOOOOOO SWOONWORTHY. Take 3 minutes and fall in love with me:

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

(Full disclosure—these questions I select come from the Web site, Roots and Rings—sometimes they ask the silliest things, but I always find their options fun. Plus, I could never think of this many questions to ask of myself!)

This month’s questions come in the form of

WOULD YOU RATHER

1. eat chocolate-covered grasshoppers or this freaky squid thing?

OK, this really is a dilemma of weirdness here because grasshoppers FREAK ME OUT. (like, full disclosure–worse than spiders!) I know, I’m so weird (I blame it on the grasshopper plagues in Laura Ingalls’ “On the Banks of Plum Creek”). But that squid thing? Easily the grossest thing I’ve ever seen anyone put on a plate so…if I was on the island of only those two options, I’d rather starve.

2. never see another movie or never watch TV again?

While I have a few TV shows I really REALLY love (Parenthood, Mad Men, Parks and Rec among them), I could easily give up on TV. Movies? No way. I am a film junkie through and through.

3. be a superhero with a lame power or a supervillain with an awesome power?

This question makes me think of the British show, “Misfits,” that I love so much (if you’ve never seen it– you must! It’s streaming on Hulu now!) Anyway, I’m thinking lame power as a superhero. Because who wants to become a villain? But what’s anyone’s definition of “lame”? Because if it’s “ability to do laundry in 5 minutes”, well, I wouldn’t mind THAT superpower, right?

4. eat only salty snacks for the rest of you life, or only sweet snacks?

Ummm…maybe it’s because I have a hankering for some salt and vinegar chips right now, but I tend to crave salty stuff over the sweet. So, I might be the odd (wo)man out here, but I’m going with salty!

5. never read another book or never hear another song?

ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS QUESTION?! I mean, bookworm that I am, there’s NO way I could give up books. Sooo…even though I’d sooner cut off a finger than give up my music, I’ll go with song. But I hate to even ponder the question.

6. be a whale carcass remover or a sewer inspector?

Really? We’re really going to go there? Seriously, don’t click on either of those links if you haven’t eaten breakfast yet. I mean, sewers have to be the grossest thing ever, so, I guess the whale remover? At least then I could maybe just sit behind the crane. Make one of my co-workers do the heavy lifting.

7. have no electricity or no running water?

Hmmm…that’s a tough one. But I’d say no running water. I’d turn into a scrub, but at least my refrigerator would still be running. And there’s usually a few gallons of orange juice in there to get me by. And the Internet. Yeahhh…Facebook over H20…is that really where my priorities are? ;)

8. be a dog or a cat?

I’m a dog lover, but I think cats have it easier. I mean, they can jump up on stuff. So, when it comes to dexterity, I think I’d rather be a cat.

9. always be hot or always be cold?

Hot because, as miserable as that can be, being cold means you don’t even want to move without shivering. And yes, I have been THAT cold before! (when our power went out in the middle of winter due to an ice storm. I think it took me 3 days to unthaw!)

10. be forced to watch all 3 High School Musicals on an endless loop, or the Twilight movies?

Ummm…is here where I admit that I’m a Twilight fan? Like, I actually went to the movies in the theater? And that I’ll go and see Breaking Dawn too? Yeah, it’s probably here where I should tell you all that if you didn’t know it already. Hey, it’s my guilty pleasure. If yours is Zac Efron, well, I won’t judge if you don’t ;)

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

Saturday’s wedding was one I’d been looking forward to all year long. I mean, you remember Jennifer and Chris’s engagement session, right? :)

Never mind the day’s overcast skies—the color of the wedding was yellow. From the sunflowers that made an appearance in Jennifer’s bouquet to the myriad of details gracing the carnival tent reception, it was all sunshine and smiles for this bride and groom. Add to that the fact these two are some of my FAVORITE people to photograph (seriously, Jennifer WOWED us all in her dresses (yep, both of ‘em! Can’t wait to show ‘em off to you!)), and I was in wedding photographer heaven. It’s couples like this that keep us behind the camera, loving what we do, weekend after weekend. Congrats to both of you and a sneak peek to tide you over until the full blog post is on its way!

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

Earlier this month, I walked into the library and was stopped in my tracks by this gorgeous display of portraits in front of me. “I geek acting.” “I geek gardening.” “I geek vampires.” What the? I wondered. Then I looked closer and realized this was a campaign of some sorts. And then I realized, it wasn’t just any campaign. This was the Geek The Library project. In a nutshell, here’s what this project (being sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) is all about:

The campaign hopes to inspire a conversation about our incredible public libraries and their urgent need for increased support. We hope you tell people what you geek, how the public library supports you and your community, and that everyone in your community benefits from the services your local library provides.

Friends, this all hit me like a slap in the face. I grew up as a little kid thinking the most sacred place next to my Lady-Lovely Locks shrine of a bedroom was our local library. My mom and I would pick out a stack of picture books half my height. Then, two weeks later, we’d do it all over again, letting our white-haired librarian, Beulah, check them out for us. Still, to this day, when I walk into a library, I feel like I’m home, there amidst stacks of books, each whispering a different story if only I’d pull it off the shelf and open its pages.

Libraries are glorious resources and so, it pains me to think that they are under-funded and, in most cases, under pressure. I know libraries across the country—including in my city—are cutting hours, cutting staff, and, in some cases, closing their doors. So, what does this all mean? Quite honestly, I’m not sure. But I do know, I don’t want to live in a world without libraries—and I’m pretty sure you don’t either. It’s the one place where any of us can go and—regardless of our age, race or socioeconomic class—have access to books, the Internet, computers, movies…all of it. And for free, no less.

This is why I want to be a part of this campaign and share what it is that I geek with all of you. And (surprise, surprise), I don’t think I geek anything more than books. Those in my own collection, those from the library, those that I follow on GoodReads. Books take me everywhere. They take all of us there, if we let them. And I’ve always said, as long as I have a book in my hand, I can wait anywhere. That I’m never alone.

I also geek this campaign. Pretty hard. So much so that I felt compelled to blog about it here. To start visiting my library even more than I already do. Even if you aren’t a big book lover, there are still reasons aplenty to pay a visit to the library (though picking up a book again IS definitely one of them!). And if you don’t have a library card, get one now (September is Library Card Sign-up Month). Our libraries need us as much as we need them and I want to do everything I can not to let ‘em down. If that means I need to read even more, well, twist my arm already because this geek is ALL IN!

What do you guys think? Are you library patrons? What’s the last great book you’ve read? What do YOU geek? And if you’re looking for a great book to GET you reading again, let me know. I love turning people on to my favorite books!

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