Tag Archives: marriage

ImagingUSA2011 :: New Product!

By Chris | Published February 20, 2011

SO as most of you know my background is in advertising and pr as well as fine art. Basically I’m a hodge podge of creative experience and interests. So when a company does something really cool with say a trade show booth or say…the launch of a new product I have to high five them. So to Miller’s I give a high five, even though you are not my printing company your booth design, phone charging station and Luxe lounge made my design radars tingle.

So you pass a bouncer and go up a large escalator. To your left is this delightful all white desert table. When prices and quality of food in the convention makes you want to just burn money, some decent sugary snacks (free ones I might add) are a welcomed addition to the experience. Miller’s also had an extensive list of speakers showcasing in their Luxe Lounge.

There was also a wall with little sticky notes for photographers to share what inspires them. I loved this!

After all that sugary goodness a bathroom break was necessary. In the stall was the above. :)

So what was the big release from Miller’s? It was the talk of the show and also a big release for my printer of choice White House. Meet die cut cards! GASP! Cheer! Exclaim! To put it lightly, I’m pumped. Annnnnnndddddd (drum roll) meet Diliberto Photo & Design’s newest new product! Here are 5 samples of the 50 new shapes available. I want an excuse to use the one on the top left, its my favorite, I’m thinking wedding invitation maybe? So my friends, get thinking, lets do party invitations, shower invitations, new address cards, personal stationary, christmas cards, thank you cards…with a photo or without we can design something awesome and completely personalized! Can you tell I’m excited?

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Early Christmas Present

By Chris | Published December 29, 2010

Since we got married, almost two years ago, we have not had a TV. It was a choice Bill and I made for two reasons. First we were moving and needed to get rid of a bunch of stuff so we sold our gigantic TV before the total switch to HD. Second, we wanted to make sure our first year of marriage was spent together, with no useless distractions. Usually people are shocked that we don’t have a TV. They stare at us blankly with an ere of true concern and ask…”well, what do you do?” We read, we play with our dog child, we laugh, we play board games, we talk. We still watch our favorite TV shows on hulu, and we watch movies on our computers, we just don’t sit there with the TV on and zone out for hours on end.

That all said, we are now a home with a TV, though we won’t be getting cable…and even with the TV the only things we’ve watched on it have been football games. We still watch our shows on hulu, and we still talk and read and play with the dog child. Really we just have a much larger screen to watch movies on, and I get to use it as a photo display during parties. And clearly Bill is very excited!

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46 Families, 2 Hours

By Chris | Published May 21, 2010

Can I shoot 46 families, or rather 46 combinations of about 40 families in the course of 2 hours? Why yes I can. Its kinda crazy, and it takes a lot of excellent planning and extra help, but it can happen. The down side is I don’t get to spend that much time with each family, which means they don’t get the wide range of “oh my gosh thats totally her” type photos. I also don’t get to know them as well as I’d like. But I still get some good shots, and its a lot of fun, and very high pace which I love.

The set: one ikea couch with black cover, one white back drop (which could have been a few feet wider and would have saved some time on the post production side, noted), one soft box, one giant window of natural light, and one fantastic assistant named Annie (any other name would not do). We kept it simple because we had to shoot SO quickly. It made like way easy.

The set up: The two lovely ladies in the chairs checked people in and gave them forms to fill out, forms were then handed to the assistants by the two lovely ladies who are standing, the assistants wrote down the shot number that started that particular family’s shoot. Genius. All thought up by that guy standing there. The ladder, we’re not sure why it was there.

I still had time to have a little fun.

And my lovely assistant Annie had time to take a picture with her dad.

And the kiddos still cracked me up.

There are no words. (Two of the coolest people ever).

But there was love.

The whole shoot was done for Northwood Church’s mother’s day service as a free thanks to moms for being moms. It was also the first in their series of “I Want A New Marriage”. Very excellent indeed.

I should also mention that I had a super husband that day. We rented a soft box light and when I went to turn it on it didn’t. So we checked it out and the casing that holds the bulb basically fell out. My husband went to Home Depot, got some stuff, and fixed it, right there, on the spot. I was amazed.

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Please Toe Nail Don’t Fall Off

By Chris | Published May 17, 2010

My birthdays, on the average, are synonymous with bad events. Usually there are high lights to the birthday week, but more often than not something super crappy happens that kind of brings down the overall celebratory mood. For times sake I will list both highlights and low lights in bullet form.

Highlight #1: I was born 25 years ago.

Lowlight #1: I’m half way to 50.

Highlight #2: I went out to dinner to one of my favorite restaurants, La Vista, with my family on the day of my birthday. (excuse the low res pic, I forgot my camera, gasp I know, and was forced to use the iphone pic).

Lowlight #2: I had to work on my birthday. I realize most people have to work on their birthdays, but I am a strong believer that no one should. And if I ever do own my own company each of my employees will get off on their birthday, with pay. Agreed? Good.

Highlight #3: My husband knows me so well that be bought me all of my favorite coffee branded things, plus a Martha Stewart magazine (I have a weird obsession with her, not unhealthy, just odd).

Lowlight #3: See lowlight #4, it counts for two.

Highlight #4: My dad washed my car, changed the oil, sand blasted my headlights, and made my air conditioning blow cold. He is truly the best dad ever. (Side note, he can work on your car too, see Royalty Paint and Body).

Lowlight #4: I got laid off. Yeah. Awesome huh. Via email too.

Highlight #5: My new found lack of employment gave me a chance to clean my house, unpack things, and cross things off my every growing to do list.

Lowlight #5: While shopping for the Quarter Century Bash Party we had this weekend (a joint birthday party for me and our new house, we’re the same age) I bashed my pinkie toe into the wheel of a walmart cart which caused blood to fill my flip flop and I’m pretty sure that toe nail is going to fall off.

Highlight #6: The Quarter Century Bash was AWESOME! I feel incredibly loved by the 50+ people who attended. I got to make awesome food for them (this makes my heart really happy). My husband had a birthday cake made for me (I usually make my own, I’m told I am forbidden to do this from now on) by the amazingly talented Stacy from Stacy’s For the Love of Cake. And everyone seemed to have a good time.

Lowlight #6: Sam (the black lab) got lots of “treats” from my husband and I, and I’m sure from many party goers. The next day there were three large puddles of liquid poo on the one piece of carpet she has access to in the house. I think it was the brisket scraps that did her in.

Overall I’d say 25 was a success. I mean yeah, I lost my job, but its just a job. My dog got sick and pooped on the floor, but I hate carpet anyway so no biggie. And luckly, unlike most things on the human body, toe nails grow back. The highlights much out way the low lights. I have such amazing friends and family in my life that constantly bless me simply with their existence. I hope the next 25 years are equally as awesome.

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Friday Flights~Vol 4

By Chris | Published April 24, 2010

I know I’ve missed a few Fridays, but this one is kinda different. Its not particularly on the list, but its something I want for others. I Want A New Marriage. Not for me, not that my marriage is all butterflies and rainbows but we’ve got it somewhat together. Its just lately, I’ve been over come with grief for the large number of close friends who have come to me about separations from their significant others. I’m in shock honestly. And my heart aches for them.

These are amazing people, and I’m just shocked (I know I said this already, but I’m so shocked I had to say it twice for emphasis). Coming from divorced parents I hate the thing, luckily my parents are good friends, and their significant others are good friends, and I got two brothers out of the deal and an amazing step father I wouldn’t trade for anything. Plus my dad’s girlfriend is pretty awesome too. Even with all these things, it still sucks that my parents couldn’t make it work. I don’t often think, “what if?” because I do have all those amazing by products of my parents’ divorce, but when I do the thing I think most is “what if someone could have helped them.”  Which brings me to my next point, a shameless (no sarcasm there, seriously) plug for a little series called, I Want A New Marriage.

My church (please non church goers, don’t get lost at the word church, keep reading) is beginning a series on marriage on May 9th. I know, I said the big “C” word, but really, I think, “is your marriage worth saving?” I’m not claiming that this series will save your marriage, but I’d like to think that you may learn something, even if its one thing, that may help your marriage. We can all learn right? And I promise Jesus will not be thrown down your throat, scouts honor. Below are the topics.

May 9 Marriage Myths & Misconceptions
May 16 His Needs / Her Needs
May 23 Doing Conflict Right!
May 30 Better Sex…Way Better!
June 6 Affair-Proofing Your Marriage (Guest Ted & Gayle Haggard)
June 13 Renewing Your Vows

You’re welcome to come hear the series live on Sundays at 10am at Schindewolf Intermediate School in Spring, Texas, we have free coffee and donuts! =) But if you’re not in the Houston area, or if you kinda get a little freaked out by the idea of stepping foot in a church (technically you wouldn’t be, seeing as how we meet in a school *insert sneaky smile*) just listen to the podcast online from the comfort of your own home, car, or office. You can listen to them at http://northwoodag.com/location/Podcast/Podcast.html, which gets updated faster than on iTunes.

I must also note that I had the privilege of helping with the graphics for this series, not my ideas but I’ve helped adapt them to other things. Much love for awesome church graphics. High five.

But seriously, listen to the series.

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