Angelica Grace Designs

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Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 14:39:00 +0000

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FYI...

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 19:59:00 +0000

Hello fellow blog readers and friends. Greetings from Hoosier land...otherwise known as Indiana. It's Friday night and I'm enjoying myself thoroughly here in my hometown with friends and family. I just returned home after a fun night with my parents and the kiddo's. We drove into downtown Indianapolis to check out the final four festivities. Our Butler Bulldogs made it into the final four this year so our town is hoppin' right now. It's so awesome to see all of the excitement for another one of our Indiana teams so soon after the Superbowl events. We have a spectacular city and I'm proud to call Indiana my "home." My Dad has tickets for the final four games this year and he is taking Brennen with him. Lucky DAWGS! Brennen has no idea how blessed he is. This city is going to be rockin' and rollin' tomorrow night once the games begin. Fun stuff! We went to Dick's sporting goods today and got all of our Butler fan gear for the games. It was a mad house in there to say the least. Not only that but I looked like something the cat drug in yet managed to run into everybody and their brother while there. Never fails - whenever you look like crap - you see everyone you know. Today was no different. It was great to see everyone though - even though I looked like I'd been thru a "hell hath no furry tornado." :)

FYI...the real reason why I'm writing tonight is to let you guys know a quick tid bit regarding my blog tomorrow. My web gal, Amy, is migrating my blog over to a new blog address which might take several hours tomorrow (Saturday). Therefore, if you visit the blog at all tomorrow and it is down, you'll know why. You might have to check back later in the day or evening once the migration has taken place. The new blog address after the migration is complete will be http://www.angelicagracedesigns.blogspot.com/ Blogger updated their servers and such which required us with FTP publishing to update along with them. Please mark your bookmark for my blog accordingly after tomorrow so that you can still find me after the migration. Hopefully everything with transfer smoothly and we won't have any glitches. :)

I know I said I wouldn't blog until next Tuesday but my web gal thought I should post a heads up for each of you in case you come to the blog and have problems viewing it tomorrow. Therefore, I'm borrowing my Dad's laptop and blogging. It has been an absolutely beautiful week here in Indiana. We've had 80 something degree weather and sunshine since we arrived. All of my resources really nailed my weather requests before our arrival. LOL! I've been able to visit with girlfriends, veg out with my parents, see some of my parents dear friends while in town, and just enjoy being home overall. Dad and Cathy have fed us like they were feeding an army everyday. They've cooked for us, taken us to my favorite restaurants that I've been craving since moving to Florida and baked good ol' brownies as well. I'm in heaven. I've missed being home and this week is exactly what I needed.

Brennen spent the day in Carmel with a good buddy of his and had a ball. He's had sleepovers with all of his cousins and bounced off the walls since arriving back home. I paid a visit to my favorite cupcake shop, Holy Cow Cupcakes, while up in Carmel today. I got to see my friend/store owner, Karen Sutton, as well as grab some of my favorite cuppies while in town. YAY! We spent the night reminiscing with my parents last night. We ran by the firehouse and visited with some of my Dads best buds for a bit. Again, great to see everyone. Across the street from that fire house was where we did some of our reminiscing. There is a park - called Garfield park - in that area of town. Inside that park is a hill that we all call "Tickle Belly Hill." As a kid, my parents used to drive me over the hill as fast as the car we were in would go and it would give you the biggest butterflies in your belly. As I got older, my Mom owned several corvettes over a certain amount of years. We'd get over in that area on rare occasions but when we did, she'd always take me over the hill in the vette(s) for the fun of it. That hill and that park in general bring back so many memories for me as a young kid. So...this time...I decided to introduce it to my own kids. Needless to say, they loved it. Kenidi especially. The first time I took her over it, she kept signing the word "more." LOL! It was hysterical. I'm so very thankful for childhood memories that can be passed on to my own children now. All that reminiscing had me going by the house I grew up in as a kid, the house my Dad and Cathy lived in as I was growing up, the elementary school I attended from K-2nd grade and so forth. Maybe the moving out of state brought it all out but something in me just needed to see those places one more time. Strange I know. However, it gave me comfort - almost a confirmation that yes...Indiana and many of its cities are still my hometown even though I reside in Florida full time now. There is just something about "home" that helps fulfill the soul when it is needing replenished. Even though we live in Florida now, I'm so blessed by the family I have and the friends I have which help complete this town that I call my real "home." Without them, home means nothing.

For now, I am going to finish watching this movie with my parents and then hit the hay. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. For most of the day, we'll be at our old house in Center Grove doing some touch up work before any new/future occupants move in. And for those of you who understand this joke...NO, I'm not in jail. YET! LOL! Check back with me after I've been at the house all day tomorrow. Most of you are on stand by - just waiting for a potential collect call from me from the county lock up. HA HA! So far no appearences have been made. As long as it stays that way, we'll be good to go. Wink wink! ;)

As I said before, I'll be back to regular blogging and sharing my newest photography images come Tuesday. Stay tuned. Thank you for your patience. It's greatly appreciated.

PS...My next round of beginner online photography classes that I teach are starting on May 1st. Seats are filling up. If you want to register or would just like to get info on them, go HERE to do so. We would love to have you join us in the next class. Much love, Angie

FLYING HOME

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:54:00 +0000

Well, by the time many of you will read this, I'll be on a 7:15am jet plane bound for home - to Indiana - after having been gone for the past 4.5 months. Oh how awesome it feels to be headed back home to see my Dad and Step mom, my girlfriends, etc. I've missed them all so very much. I should be in bed considering how I need to be up in four short hours getting ready for the airport but I thought I'd blog first. I thought I'd blog and let you all know that because of me being in Indiana and because my laptop is still in the shop, I most likely won't be blogging again until next Tuesday. I'll have access to my emails but probably won't have the ability to blog while I'm gone. Good news is...I talked to Best Buy and my left arm (a.k.a my laptop) is being shipped back as we speak. It should be in by the end of the week. Of course I won't be able to pick it up until next Tuesday though once I'm back in Florida. Bummer I say. Bummer! At least I know my life can return to normal once it is back in my hands. I have photography sessions to blog about and tons of random photos to share with you guys. It's been a looonnnggg 2.5 weeks without it. :(

For now though, I'm focusing on the positive. I'm centered on the fact that in less than 24 hours I'll get to see my Dad again for the first time since moving from Indy to Florida. I'll get to give him a big ol' hug and will thoroughly enjoy vegging out on his couch for the next week. He called the other night and told me all of the things that him and my step-mom were doing in preparation for our arrival. Then Cathy emailed (my step mom) and said she was headed to the grocery store to stock up on our favorite items. They are too good to me. Way too good to me. I've missed them dearly. Moving away from home for the first time in your 34 years of life is tough - very very tough. And when you move across 5 states, it is even more tough. Honestly though, the only thing I miss about Indiana is them and my friends. There isn't much else I miss. I love living in Florida and I love the perks that come along with living here as well. The sea and I are total B/F/F's and are truly thick as thieves. However, there is a familiarity that comes along with "home." I'm looking forward to that familiar way of life when we touch down there tomorrow. I can't wait to spend Easter night with my girlfriends. One of them has a new apartment and a new chapter in her life. I can't wait to see her, raid her new pad, and just hug each of them. I miss the consistent get togethers with them. I'm definitely ready to whip out big Pappa and snap some shots of some fun moments with the crew while in town. :) I need some new images of all of us for the frames within our new home here in Florida. As I type, I'm looking at all of our feet sitting here on my desk - framed in a picture frame - as we sugared our toes in the sand here on the beach when they came down last time for a girls trip. Love those memories!

So...as you can see on the map below...I'll be visiting Indianapolis (dead center on the map below), as well as the city below Indianapolis (Greenwood) which happens to be my hometown, and then also the city above Indianapolis (Carmel) which is where we lived when we moved away from Indy. I've got lots of rounds to make while home but it will be worth every minute of it.

The best part of it all...Indy is supposed to have gorgeous weather this week while we are in town. My friends and family called in some favors and adjusted the weather accordingly for our arrival apparently. Gotta' love that! In the meantime, I hope each of you have a FAB week/weekend yourself. Our plane doesn't fly back into Florida until late next Monday night. Stay tuned and be watching for all new photos and updates from our trip come next Tuesday. I've got tons of back-logged blogging material now. YAY for new content! LOL! Thanks for being patient while I take this short hiatus. Our regular scheduled programming will return on April 6th. Wink wink! ;)

Much love, Angie

GREENWOOD, INDIANA HOME FOR SALE OR LEASE (CENTER GROVE, HIGHLAND PARK)

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 00:24:00 +0000

Remember this house???

This is our old home in Greenwood, Indiana. This was our home two houses ago. We sold this house on contract and our contract buyers defaulted. Thanks to the slow Indiana court system, after not being paid for six months, we finally got the family evicted and our home back. So...here we are with it on the market again. If you know someone who is looking to buy or lease a beautiful home in the Center Grove area, please have them contact me.

The house was built in 2003. It's located in one of Center Grove's most prestigious neighborhoods called Highland Park. It has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, a large basement (great for entertaining) with sauna and workout gym. The backyard speaks for itself with a gorgeous pool. This is a J&R Eaton masterpiece. If you are familiar with his custom homes, you know he holds nothing back. He builds a stunning home with all of the extra custom touches. The home is located in the 4-star Center Grove school district.

Since we live in Florida full time now, it is obviously not convenient to still own a home in Indiana. Therefore, we'd love to sell or lease this home quickly. We appreciate any referrals. You can contact me via my email address at: Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com

We will be in town all this next week and would love to show it if anyone is interested. Thanks a million! ...Angie

ISLAND COW, GUACAMOLE DIP, & STRESSORS

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 12:42:00 +0000

I'm pulling photos from the archives today because I am without my laptop. And without my laptop means I'm without any of my most recent images. Grrrrr! On Friday my laptop screen decided to take a nose dive. It just went blank with a bunch of stripes going up and down it. I immediately ran it over to Best Buy and their Geek Squad told me I'd have my baby back in 3 weeks. THREE WEEKS??? That is like death to some people - me included. How in the world am I supposed to go three weeks without my left arm? Needless to say, I'm feeling the pain. Photoshop, all of my actions, my current and past images over the last year, etc. are all on my laptop. I'm lost! I'm currently using my desktop computer which I don't necessarily care for. It doesn't have any of my current programs or anything on it. What a mess! So...for now it looks as though I'll be using older images that you've already seen anytime I plan to blog over the next three weeks. Oh what a joy that is going to be. LOL! Bare with me...I'm keeping my fingers crossed that three weeks goes by in a jiffy.

Karen flew into town and spent that past 4 days with me before she had to head on over to the East coast of Florida for a concert she was attending. We had a great time eating at all of the restaurants I've wanted to try but just haven't had a chance yet. For those of you heading to the Sanibel Island area over Spring Break, you must eat at the "Island Cow." It is this quaint little restaurant that I've always wanted to try but never had the chance until last week. It's always packed out and therefore we never attempted stopping there because of the wait. It's an outdoor restaurant with the most adorable hand carved Adirondack chairs in every color of the tropical rainbow calling your name in their front yard. The chairs are handmade by a company here in town called "Tropic-chair" and I'm bound and determined to save up for some to place around our pool. They scream beach, tropics, sun, fun, etc. Definitely a new favorite find of mine. The Island Cow restaurant has a menu the size of Texas which includes everything under the sun. I tried their lobster and shrimp wontons that were plated with a plum dipping sauce that day and devoured them along with their hand squeezed orange juice and their chocolate chip muffins as a side filler. Oh yes, my tummy was in heaven. Keep in mind this stuff followed a bowl of guacamole dip that Karen and I woofed down in the car on the way to Sanibel that morning. Yes, can you tell it was my "cheat day?" I think it goes without saying that it was my one day off my diet and I made the best of it. And when my blender broke at home and it appeared that our lime chips and avocados were about to go to waste, Karen suggested duck tape for a quick fix. I never wavered - headed straight to the garage for Brent's duck tape and we made that daggone blender work. You know your a guacamole addict when you tape up your blender with duck tape in order to make it work at 9:30am in the morning. HA! Thank you God for brilliant friends who suggest duck tape and for the duck tape itself. :) Oh and here are a few photos I found on the Internet of the Island Cow atmosphere...

As you can tell, the Island Cow is a MUST when on Sanibel Island. I love the atmosphere. I love the colors. I love that it is an open air restaurant. I love their food. I love their shirts they wear there. I loved it all. We will go back. I want to take the kids there sometime. Too fun!

Lastly, I've had many people writing and asking how my doctor appt. with the cardiac electrophysiologist went yesterday. In a nutshell, he doesn't think that my issues are the AV Node Tachycardia. THANK GOODNESS! Praise Jesus! Thank you for all of your prayers and well wishes. The doc says he is 90% sure that it is due to stress rather than the condition that requires surgery. He thinks my body is releasing a surge of adrenaline at night while I sleep and while my body processes the day. Because of that, I'm having severe palpitations like I've never had before and my medication is no longer working to help them. He basically told me that I needed to quit "stifling" my stress. (meaning don't hold it in or push it deep down - deal with it!) Anyone who knows me well enough knows that it takes a lot to get me down. No matter what is going on in my life, my main goal is to keep trucking along. I refuse to let anyone or anything get the best of me. I read a quote yesterday that said..."Those things or those people that tried to destroy you, haven't! Those things or those people who tried to kill you, didn't! YOU'RE ALL THAT!!!" (by Paula White) I loved it. Thought the quote was a must share - so I did share it on facebook with my crackbook friends. :) However, that attitude is apparently part of my problem. I need to start accepting my stress and owning it a bit more I guess. The doctor reiterated that the normal person who is stressed out hasn't undergone a move across 5 states away from family, a life altering heart diagnosis last year (the PFO), personal issues last July nor do they parent a special needs child on an hourly basis - day after day - and so forth. He told me that my stress level is beyond the norm and that I have to start balancing that out even though I might not feel stressed or feel as though it is as bad as it is. My problem is that I don't look at my life as stressed. I won't give in to the enemy and allow my joy to be stolen. After my talk with the cardiac doctor yesterday though, I realize now that I can OWN my stress and still have joy. He said I needed to give myself extra long bubble baths, extra walks on the beach, pedicures, etc. that focus on me and me only. He said the body needs to balance and the only way to balance your life is to give yourself the time your body is requesting. I laughed and said "Well, apparently my 1-2 walks on the beach each week aren't cutting it then. I'll follow the doctors orders and increase that amount." He twisted my arm. LOL!

Looking back on it, in hindsight, I guess I do have a lot to be stressed about. I'm just not one to let those "stressors" win. Even knowing what I know now, I still won't. However, I will throw them away with the seaweed as the wave caps come washing up on the shore each time that I'm taking my walks on the beach here in sunny Florida. I'm making the decision to own those stressors and send them packing in the cool gulf waters with the sharks and the bottom feeders on the ocean floor. Yes, yes...that is the best place for ~~her~~ them...on the bottom of the ocean floor - in the darkness for which they so consistently beckon.

And today...where am I headed...to the beach of course. Today begins the start of a FL warm up here in Naples. Our temps are expected to reach the low to mid 80's over the next 10 days. Not only due I plan to hit that beach over the next several days in order to return to Indiana next week tan and actually looking like I "live" in Florida, but I plan to hit that beach to feed my stressors to the almighty powerful ocean and the monsters that lurk within it. My stressors will soon be their problem now and not mine. And when I report back to my cardiologist in 4-6 weeks, I intend to prove to him that he was right and that the sea is confirmed yet again as a huge and ever so powerful tool in life.

Happy, happy, Monday peeps! Make sure you are all de-stressing even if your "sea" is the toilet in your nearest bathroom. Let's be honest...that is where the stressors best fit anyway - in the commode.

XOXO, Angie

REMEMBER ME

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:02:00 +0000

If you haven't seen the movie "Remember Me" yet, then as my friend Heidi said...RUN, don't walk to go see this movie! Karen and I went to see it yesterday since it was raining here in Florida. Had it not been for a few of my friends seeing it already, I wouldn't have been overly anxious to go watch it because the previews just didn't look all that exciting to me. Well...of course "Edward" looked all well and exciting in it but the plot line didn't show much detail on the previews. However, we went and we LOVEDDDDD it! I won't go into much information about it here because I don't want to ruin the movie for you. In a nutshell though, the movie starts out with a very violent opening which alarmed me at first. I began to question what type of movie it was going to end up being. Then, for the next few minutes of the first half, it reigns pretty simple and pretty predictable. You must stick with it though and follow it thru to the end. The end of the movie is the WHOLE MOVIE. There are many spoilers out there right now but I'm urging you not to read the spoiler just this one time. If you find out the ending of the film by reading the spoilers before seeing it, you will be so disappointed. Way disappointed! I'm usually one that reads "spoilers" because I'm so impatient. This time though, I urge you not to. I didn't and am so glad I stuck to my guns and didn't read about the ending.

Of course Robert Pattinson (Edward) was phenomenal in this film. I was worried for him and had hoped that he would shine in this movie beings that he had been made famous by his Twilight/vampire movies. I hoped that he would prove to everyone that not only was he HOT but he has extreme talent as an actor as well. The Remember Me film proves just that. He ROCKED the big screen in a whole new way this time. Oh, and for all of you ladies yearning to see the racey romantic love scenes with him in Twilight, go see this movie - you'll definitely get your fix. LOL! There are a couple of racey moments within it. He isn't with "Bella" in these but his co-star is a great actress as well along side him in this film. For those of us who fell in love with Edward long ago and are obsessed with his very name, this movie will only make you love him more. He plays that same romantic, loving, caring, supportive, guy that he does in the Twilight films - only he is REAL in this show. He is a real guy in a real relationship and the movie leaves you wanting more and more of him yet again. For those of us who are currently and already obsessed with him, we might as well check ourselves into an institution and ask for help now after seeing this Remember me film. We are officially lost causes. HA HA!

And the end of the movie - oh the end...it totally takes your breath away. Karen and I left the theater in shock. The ending is a shock and awe ending - a true surprise twist that you never saw coming. I left feeling as though someone had hit me in the stomach with a baseball bat. I'll quote my friend Heidi again...it was epic! The ending made the movie what it was. Well and Edward too. (in this movie his name is Tyler but I personally think Edward sounds better. Has a catchy little ring to it. LOL!)

So...line up a babysitter and grab a few girlfriends this evening. GO SEE THIS MOVIE NOW! I never steer you wrong - don't wait until it comes out on DVD. See it NOW! I'd see it 50 times over again if I could. Don't pay any attention to the measly 2 stars that US weekly magazine rated it. They are nuts!

In the meantime, I'm off to Coconut Point with Karen for the day. We are enjoying our girlie lunches and yummy Florida dinners. Last night we hit the watermark grill for St. Patrick's day dinner. Tuesday we hit up the SEA SALT restaurant off 3rd for a spectacular lunch. It's beautiful out today so I thought I'd show her around Bonita Springs and Coconut Point. Good times - good times!

XOXO, Angie

HIGHLIGHTING - BY AGD

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 23:22:00 +0000

Catch your breath. Don't pass out! Yes, we are talking about jewelry designs from AGD. :) I've had too many of you to count - email and ask me when I'd be releasing some new designs again (clothing and jewelry). I know it's been forever. Truth is...I've battled this question myself. I'm sure many of you have noticed that I stripped my website down to just the items made by me - the items that got me to where I am - the items that started it all. The boutique clothing designs and my jewelry designs. There are a few items still on the site that were made by friends and vendors but they are only a couple of jewelry pieces. I've battled with where AGD is going at this point and I still don't know for sure. What I do know is this. I love photography and I enjoy beading jewelry. Those are my passions. Photography heads that pack. I enjoy the design process of my boutique outfits but I detest sewing. My sewing employee and friend, Karen, lives 977 miles away now. She isn't down the street from me to where we could do midnight runs to one anothers mailboxes with new orders like we used to. I miss that. However, I don't miss the sewing. Kenidi is also getting older (almost 7 now) and growing out of the frilly, ruffly, designs that she used to model so well. I don't want to use another child over my own for my designs. I just won't. I'm weird that way. The sewing also took a back burner to personal issues in my life over the past year. Medical/health issues to do with my heart, the personal junk, our move from Indiana to Florida back in the fall, and just the overall fact that my photography business has moved up to my #1 priority when it comes to my hobbies/passions within my business goals. So for now...I guess you could say that the boutique clothing designs will be a thing of the past. I've been there, done that, got a thousand t-shirts. I'm proud of the accomplishments I reached via the AGD clothing designs and am humbled and blessed by my loyal clients which have also become some of my dearest friends over the past 6 years. Should I decide to re-ignite the line one day, you guys will be the first to know. I promise.

With that said, you are probably wondering where that leaves my jewelry line. For now, I plan to keep my website up and feature my jewelry designs as I get new ones listed as well as continue to sell my older creations too. Like with my boutique clothing line, I have tons of loyal clients that have stayed by my side and enjoyed the jewelry pieces I've created thru the years. You guys are in luck. I plan to begin designing all new never seen before designs in the coming months. The beach is a great place to drag a chair to with some bead supplies. I'd love nothing more then to sit by the seaside and let its beauty inspire my new creations. I can't promise how often I'll list new items here on the blog and website but whenever I do finish a new piece, I'll introduce it here as I've always done in the past. In the meantime, I will continue to forge forward in regard to my photography career. Like with my AGD designs, I know my photography journey has a purpose within my life and I'm eager to see where it leads me.

Before I get started on introducing new jewelry designs though, I wanted to highlight some of the most popular pieces in my collection. One of them being the winged cross and winged guitar pearl strand necklaces. Here are some older images of them...

I've had an over abundance of these being ordered again all of a sudden and thought I'd showcase them here for those who might not have seen them before. They are big, bold, chunky pieces that are designed for my statement making clients. They definitely aren't for the shy. When I wear these, I can't get 10 feet without being stopped and asked where I got it. It's truly one of my favorite AGD designs EVAH! As you all know, I get into funky and out of the box looks and these take the cake. I have 3 winged crosses left and 2 winged guitars left. To order one before they are all gone, click HERE.

Thanks again for all of your support over the past 6 years. Each of my clients/customers from around the world mean so very much to me. Thank you for helping to breathe life back into me at a time when my world seemed to be crumbling all of those years ago. AGD was started and created out of a need to focus on something positive - something other than all of the negative to do with Kenidi after she was born and we discovered she had health problems. Your support carried me thru many difficult moments all those years ago and I'll never be able to thank you enough for that. You guys were the light in those dark moments. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Much love, Angie

LIGHTHOUSE BEACH - SANIBEL ISLAND BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:32:00 +0000

Last week I hit Sanibel Island and Captiva for some shelling as well as for some "shooting" time that was just for me. More often than not I hear professional photographers talk about how you should take certain days and just make them "your" days to shoot whatever you want. They explain how these "whatever" days really keep you inspired and your creativity flowing. I love to go shoot by myself and for myself. I enjoy taking my time and photographing things as many times as I want at as many different angles and such as I want. I don't have to hurry as you would in the middle of a scheduled session. I can take my time and see things at my own pace. On this day, the clouds/sky were incredible. The top image above is just proof of what a beautiful day it was. I teach my students in my photography classes that you should never take an image with the horizon line dead center in the middle of the photograph. You should always either pick the sky, the ocean, or the sand as your subject. One of them needs to be your main focus. Therefore, the horizon line should always end up in the bottom third of the photograph or in the upper third of it. In this case, can you tell what I chose my subject to be? Scroll up there and look. What is your answer? If you chose the sky/clouds, you are correct. When you look at that image, I want your eyes to focus on the sky. I want you to see the beauty in the clouds so I place my focus point on that area. I even went a bit more drastic and placed the sand in less than a 1/3 of the image so that the sky is basically screaming at you. You didn't know you were gonna' get a little photography lesson here today, did ya? LOL!

Notice how the shot above has the horizon line in the upper 1/3 of that image? Yeap, now I'm trying to direct your eyes to the beach and the sand. I want you to focus in on the fact that all of those people are sitting on top of a pile of sand that is infested with nothing but shells. They are combing that mound looking for all kinds of different type shells. This particular spot is called blind pass. It is the area where Sanibel Island and Captiva Island split. It's a gorgeous spot. I love it there. There are always tons of "shellers" there. Great fun.

There are really cool rocks on the corner of this beach. They make for great texture in an image...

I have a thing for photographing signs. Some of you might have picked up on that before. Signage always has great color. Love me some signs...

And I'm still confused by this one...

Here is one I just had to grab because of the angle within it. Angles can do so much for a photograph. Love the shadows from the nautical ropes here...

I managed to get some great shots of the Sanibel lighthouse that day too. It really popped on top of that blue sky. This lighthouse is one of the most unattractive lighthouses I've ever seen but I still love it. I am obsessed with its rustic, old, vintagey feel.

I love wondering about the nights it lead and directed those at sea. I envision this powerful beacon that is the epitome' of all things "sea" related. It was first lit with a kerosene lantern on August 20th, 1884 and the rumor is that the light is still operational. The lighthouse itself is 98 feet tall and totally brown in color. It took them three months to build the structure itself. It sits on the southern most tip of Sanibel Island. The beach it rests on is poignantly named "Lighthouse beach."

Although the building itself is not open to the public, many visit the site and photograph it on a daily basis. The beach surrounding the lighthouse is gorgeous and well worth any day spent there.

As you can tell, I had a great time exploring the lighthouse grounds as well as lighthouse beach there in Sanibel. This whole moving experience has been great fun for me because I enjoy learning the history about all of these areas. Even though we vacationed here for more than 10 years before moving here full time, I never knew any of the main details surrounding the islands. It is a treat to research this stuff and then be able to photograph it as well.

I'm signing off for now in order to tend to two sick children I have tucked under my wings here at home today. Yeap, Kenidi is home now too. We are bundled up in my bed watching cartoons under the down comforter as the sultry Florida rains pound the seaside outdoors. I used to detest when it rained in Indiana. However, now that we live here and see such little rain, I have found that I enjoy a good downpour to help cool off the humidity. Storms here are so much more powerful as they roll in off the ocean - way different than Hoosier land. We are enjoying those pelting's on the clay rooftop today. It's a welcoming sound as we nurture our way thru this sick spell. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend. Talk soon...Angie

HUMP DAY BY THE SEA

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:33:00 +0000

I'd love to kiss whomever invented the "flip flop." The fact that I get to wear flip flops year round now is just fabulous. It was an 83 degree beach day here in sunny Florida today. I slipped on my old, trusty, so cheap it should be criminal, rubber, flip flops and headed down the street to the beach. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and after four straight hours in untouched Florida sun, my face and body are paying for it. I seriously look like I fell asleep under a sun lamp or something. Yes, I'm that over done. Very crispy. Totally lobster like and that is a rare occurrence for me. Normally I just tan. Today was a different story. No pain no gain I guess, right? I know dermatologists across America are cringing with disgust right now. LOL!

Anywho, I took about 16 magazines with me to the beach today. Kenidi always devours my magazines that I get before I get to. I finally took the time to flip thru each one today while sugaring the sand between my toes. The pages were a bit crinkled and disheveled due to my little KG having them first but I managed. The people around me on the beach probably thought I was nuts because of the huge stack I was reading thru. Here was my "read" pile as I began finishing them. Some of my favs...(mainly photography magazines)...

I always get asked what kind of tanning lotion I use. As many of you know, a fellow blog reader turned my girlfriends and I on to "afro-sheen" while we were all down here about two summers ago. It is a running joke amongst all of us now because we all F-R-I-E-D ourselves with it when we tried it. Normally though, I use this...

I use it along with a mixture of Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil as well. I use the solar dust (above) and then I put the tanning oil over the top of it. Yes, another concoction of mine. I know. However, it works for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the solar dust because if you look closely you will see that it has specks of gold shimmery crystals in it. When you apply it to your skin it leaves the flecks of shimmer on your skin and I swear that the little shimmers are what attracts the sun so much. It also looks pretty on your tan brown skin. Did I mention that I love it? Like really love it? ;) Again, dermatologists...just pretend like you aren't reading any of this. Hide your eyes. HA HA!

All in all, it was a beautiful day. Gorgeous was more like it. I spent four uninterrupted hours by the sea - destressing - catching up on my reading - attempting to whittle down my inbox and return some emails as well as made much needed phone calls that were on my to-do list. I enjoyed the sounds of the seagulls, the lapping of the waves, and the sand crystalizing on my toes. I took today to go to the beach because they are calling for rain over the next two days here. I had to get my weekly fix in. In the meantime, I'm preparing for a house guest from Indy next week. That's right...one of my dear friends and my sewing employee, Karen, is coming in to stay with us from Tuesday thru Saturday. You guys have heard me talk about Karen here on the blog before I believe. I'm so very excited. I can't wait to show her around town and soak up some more rays together on the beach. Good times!

For now, I'm off to hunker down and get ready for the Orange County housewives reunion show. Oh yeah...bring out the claws and let the cat fights begin. Until the next post, have a great night. XOXO, Angie

MONDAY MUSINGS - NAPLES, FLORIDA CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:52:00 +0000

Hi friends. Long time no blog, eh? Sorry about that. You can always tell when my new photography classes start up because I get M.I.A over here on the blog. I apologize. I definitely haven't forgotten about you. I'm just devoting my spare time to my newest students and hoping to provide the best instruction to them possible.

With that said, thought I'd jump in and say hello really quickly. I spent the morning on the beach. Shelling over on Sanibel Island as well as over in Captiva. I took my camera along so I'll be sure to post photos later this week. It's a beautiful 75 degree day here today. I'm vegging out by the pool now with my Mom while waiting for Kenidi and Brennen to get off their bus in a few minutes. It was nice to take today for a relaxation day as my heart and my sanity needed it in a bad way. That heart of mine loves to pump out of my chest when I'm stressed out. Therefore, the smell of sunscreen and suntan oil is a sure fire fix for that when I go to the beach. If even for that moment only, it makes everything in life all better. Ya know?

On another fun note, I got to meet some wonderful new friends this weekend. I hooked up with the Naples Photography club here in Florida and have begun attending events, classes, and workshops with them. They are a great group of people and I had a ball shooting with them this weekend. It's awesome to have others that share your same passion whom you can get out and shoot this incredibly beautiful environment with. I loved it. I was a bit nervous going into at first. I felt like the new kid on the block. Because I was. However, they were all extremely welcoming and made me feel right at home. I can't wait until our next outing together. It's great to have something to focus on and look forward to that is just for me. And me only. Rarely do we Moms or women get that in life. We are always so busy with kids and husbands and daily day to day life that we forget who we are and what we love. Photography has helped me remember who I am. And I am so thankful for that.

Oh yes...and this little girl up above and below...??? She was my beautiful subject during a candid photo session at a local park here the other day. I'm not one that typically cares for any kind of fencing or background clutter in images but her cuteness helped me forget that we were on a playground instead of at a location where I would have rather been. These are just a couple of sneak peek shots from our session. And her hair...oh the hair...

It goes without saying that she was an absolute doll!

For now, I'm headed out to take Brennen to football practice. I'm looking forward to hanging out on the bleachers in the sunshine this evening. It's a great night for football. :)

PS...Thanks for your patience last Friday when someone hacked into my AGD blog and AGD website. Thankfully my web gals (Amy & Crystal) got the problem fixed within an hour or so of me discovering it. And actually I didn't discover it, my dear sweet facebook friend and blog reader, Amy Dana did. Thanks again Amy. I appreciate the heads up girl. And for Amy & Crystal...huge kudo's to you two for being such ROCKSTARS in the web design field. You girls are my life savers. I don't know what I would do without you. Thanks again for all of your hard work - on a whim - and on the fly like that - regarding the hacking. You two are no match for those crazies. Soooooo appreciate you both.

xoxo, Angie

THE B-STER! (NAPLES, FLORIDA BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER)

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:30:00 +0000

His stance couldn't look anymore like a 16 year old here than it does.

His aggravated look on his face because of my cameras presence couldn't scream teenager anymore than it does.

His style couldn't be anymore handsome than it is. Quite a good lookin' kid if you ask me. I know you didn't but I'm just sayin'...!

When he wears his under armour sunglasses he reminds me of the movie TOP GUN. GQ'ish and stealth like. Which character is he..."Goose" of course. Cocky and good lookin'! The hair is almost an exact resemblance.

I love that I convinced him many many years ago that real men wear pink. To this day, he'll throw on a pink polo and not even think twice about it. Oh yes...one day he is going to make that wife of his a very lucky girl.

In 10 days he will be 11 years old. It feels like just yesterday that the doctor looked at me and said..."He's breech. We'll need to do a C-section." That was my first clue that nothing about Brennen would ever be of the norm. He is a special kid. One who is madly in love with the idea of protecting his baby sister. (except when she comes into his room and dumps all of his cars) I'm so blessed and thankful for his caring and loving spirit. He has an overflowing heart filled with compassion which is just out of this world.

I love how he shares my same love of music. We share Itunes songs back and forth all of the time. He loves everything from Christian music to hip hop - just like his Mama. Yes, this child knows a good tune when he hears it. He makes me smile when he cranks the computer in his room and listens to my playlist on this here ol' blog. I hear him belting out tunes and think..."yeap, that's my boy."

In 10 days, he will be eleven. In 3 months, he will graduate from being a 5th grader in elementary school to a big 6th grader in junior high. I basically have three months before our world gets turned upside down. Let's face it...middle school was the starting point for all of us. The start of the distance which ensues between parents and their children. It makes me cringe at the thought. I want him to be 2 all over again. I want the chili bowl haircut back. I want the blues clues videos back that he would dance to, and the sound of his little voice when he would say "Close the gate Papa, close the gate!" (old joke amongst him and my Dad) Geez...one minute he still looks so very small, playing like a child would when I gaze out at him...

and the next minute he stands so very big, straight, and tall - looking like he is 10 going on 25.

I'm clinging to each day - hour by hour.

Yes, he is growing up right before my eyes. They always do. Today I'm feeling it a little more than the usual. Because of that, I came here to journal those feelings and embrace them. Embrace the growth and the power of life. I love this boy. Love him to the sun and back ten gazillion times over.

Much love, Angie

BEACH DAYS - NAPLES FLORIDA BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:24:00 +0000

Oh what a day. It was gorgeous for the most part. I began my day listening to the warm Florida rains pour down like a raging waterfall. That type of rain is rare here. While taking in the sounds of quiet other than the rain, I cranked up Ray Lamontagne in the house and rocked out to his mellow tunes while listening to the rain outside my windows and while finishing some final edits on a few images. It was a blissful morning. Relaxing, peaceful, and slow going. Loved that. There is something to be said for warm Florida rains, having my laptop in my hands doing what I love (editing photography) and jammin out to good ol' Ray. I found myself saying "Thank you God for warm Florida rains, for my camera, and for Ray...of course." LOL!

The rain quit after about 30 minutes and then the sun came out full force. Typical Florida weather. When that happened, I grabbed "Big Pappa" and headed to the beach with Ray now jamming on my stereo in the car on the way. It was a stunning day at the shores edge. I went scouting out some new photography locations. Found some good ones too. A perfect day.

On another note...I visited a new cardiologist down here in Naples yesterday. I've been having some really strange episodes of palpitations in the middle of the night. They are three times as intense as my older ones and my blood pressure drops way down when it happens which sends my pulse racing - ultimately waking me up from a deep sleep each night. The cardiologist seems to think I might have a specific kind of palpitation that could ultimately result in needing surgery to be treated effectively. He says I am too young to be going thru this at my age. I agree. I am being sent to an electrophysiologist now. I don't see him for another three weeks which makes me nuts but apparently this doc specializes in only patients with severe palpitations. I'm nervous yet eager to hear what he thinks and what he has to say. Please pray for me, once again, regarding these heart matters. It was almost a year ago when I was diagnosed with the PFO issue to do with my heart. Now this. I'm trying to remain upbeat but it is scary at times. Scary at night a lot. I'm tired of being tired and tired of worrying. Just trying to have faith that God is in control and that hopefully this can be treated without a surgery - maybe with a different prescription or something.

And lastly, I was skyping with my Dad the other night and he had a girl scout come to his door selling cookies. I told him that I hadn't seen any girl scouts here in Florida yet. I was craving my favorites...the thin mints. Low and behold...about 3 days later...look what showed up at my front door...

Wait for it...

Waaiitttt for it...

Yeap, not only did he get me some thin mints and shipped them to me but my StepMom made homemade chocolate chip cookies and homemade brownies for me too. Well...for the kids and I anyway. Ha ha! Guess it is good to share, right? LOL! Don't hate. You heard me...don't be a "hater." Do I need to get you guys some hater-ade? Hee hee! Yes, I am absolutely spoiled rotten. I have wonderful and amazing parents who definitely take good care of me. It was great to get a little taste of home. Thanks Dad and Cath...I love you guys so very much! Needless to say, the cookie and brownie stash was gone in two days. I had 1.5 brownies and one cookie out of it before the rest was depleted by little monsters. Gotta' love em'! They saved my hips for the week. Bwwwaahhhhhh!

Hope all of you are having a great week thus far. Enjoy hump day tomorrow. Hugs, Angie

NIGHTS AT THE BEACH

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:14:00 +0000

One of the best things about living in Florida is basically having the beach at your back door. For example, whenever you have a free Friday or Saturday night (or any night of the week for that matter) and you want to pack everyone up & head to the sand & seashore to witness a gorgeous sunset and let the kids frolic in the sand, you can. Thankfully our home here is just down the street from the beach. The road our development sits off of leads right straight down into the gulf of Mexico. A 5 minute drive to the beach makes everything in life that much better.

There is nothing I love more than stepping down into that sand and feeling the grit of it all between my toes. The sugaring process...ya know? The sound of the waves lapping and the smell of the sea salt in the air is almost more than my heart can handle. There is also nothing I love more than seeing my kids enjoy the beach as much or more than I do. I managed to get Brennen to stand still a few times while there Friday evening. This is now one of my new favorite images...

There is something to be said for footprints in the sand. Not just because of the famous poem either. The rushing of the waves and their ability to wash away a footstep is a perfect word picture for how important life is. How short life is. One minute it is here. The next minute it's gone.

I just love photos of toes in the sand. Images of flip flops at the beach.

Brennen wasn't happy with me for posting this image of him below. He stuck his toes in the water and found that the gulf was freezing. However, I just had to share it. :) I focused my camera all on him this particular night. I just love this boy...

When I look at this shot below, it is hard to believe he is going to be 11 in just two more weeks. In some ways he looks so much older here - but in other ways he still resembles that little baby of mine who ran around with a chili bowl haircut for so long and who adored Blues Clues as a toddler. The years just fly by.

He is such a little stud-man now. Girls calling and texting. Females in his class leaving "I love you" verbage on his Valentines, etc. How quickly they grow up. It is nights spent watching the sunsets at the beach that make me so thankful for the time I do have with him. One day he'll be wanting to bring his "best girl" to the shoreline instead of his Mama. No fear...I'll be hiding out in the sea oats with my 70-300mm telephoto lens. Poor girl...she'll have no idea that his Mom mimics the Paparazzi until its too late. Ha ha! Poor Brennen...his life is forever doomed. LOL!

Hope you are all having a spectacular weekend. Even if you don't have a beach near by, go sugar your toes in the snow with your kiddo's. It will melt soon. Again, life is soooo short. Much love, Angie

PS...Thank you to all of you who've signed up for the Angie Seaman Photography class that begins this Monday. The class has once again sold out. There is now a wait list going for the next class being offered in May. I'll announce details on that one soon. For those still interested in the workshop I'm doing here in Naples in September, there are seats available. Click HERE for details. It is going to be an amazing weekend!

FIX IT FRIDAY - SANIBEL ISLAND CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHER

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:11:00 +0000

It's fix it Friday over at I heart faces again this week. The above image is the shot they gave us to try and "fix." The shot above is the before shot and the shot below is my post edit fixed shot. Here is my "after..."
Here are the two of them side by side...

I love any image with blue skies and bright colors. This one was no different. Thanks Caroline for letting us play with your image. :) To see more fix it Friday examples, visit HERE.

Have a FAB weekend...Angie

BIRDS ON A WIRE - NAPLES FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:54:00 +0000

Here is another one of those shots where there is just beauty in the mundane. Call it my obsession with lines again, I donno. Whatever it is...I just love when birds are all lined single file up on an electrical wire - let alone on a pretty day - right above the beach with blue skies AND pretty white fluffy marshmallow clouds. I took these image several weeks ago and something lead me to share it today. Although it means nothing to you guys, it makes me smile. Can you imagine just chillin' with your B/F/F's all day long up in the blue pillow-y skies with the beach down below? WOW! What a rough life that would be. Real, real, rough. Fo' sho'! :)

In the end, this is just another example of how we pass this type of stuff daily and the images never register with our brains that they mean anything or that they are beautiful enough to be noticed. The beauty in the mundane again. The stuff we see day in an day out but never truly "feel" when we see it. I snapped this image because I wanted to remember what I felt when I saw it and I wanted to feel the smile that it brought to me when I thought about hanging with my gur-frens on a live wire all day long. At.the.beach! This was another scene that being a photographer taught me to see that I otherwise would not have.

For now, I'm off to tend to my littles - my Kenidi Grace - who has been home sick since Monday. She is sitting right here beside me eating chex mix and popcorn now that she finally has an appetite back. I'm just glad to see her eating - I don't care if it is bucket loads of chocolate at this point. Hoping you are all having a great week.

PS...I'm starting to get lots of calls from clients about wanting professional beach portraits done when they travel here to Florida for Spring Break next month. If you are heading to the Ft. Myers Beach, Naples, Marco Island, Sanibel Island, or Cape Coral areas for your upcoming travels and would like to schedule a session with me...shoot me an email. I'd be honored to photograph you, your family, your children, etc. A huge thanks to all of you who continue to pass on my name to others in regard to photography needs. Your word of mouth referrals are priceless. I can't begin to express how much they mean to me.

Much love...Angie

FREE CANVAS

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 16:04:00 +0000

Hi friends. Just wanted to post a note here real quick and let each of you know that "Canvas People" are giving away free photo canvases right now. They are on a mission to earn the business of everyone in the market and then some. Therefore, they are offering an awesome deal for free canvases. I must say that I ordered two for my office and I received them a couple of weeks back. They turned out OK but they definitely aren't the quality that I'm used to with my professional photography lab. These canvases are thin and skinny, not the 2" wide heavy duty canvases some of you might be familiar with. Their lab coloring was way off and actually produced a bluish tint to my images as well as some dark areas but beings that they were free (or one was), I'm not complaining. For the FREENESS, they are just fine. I'm appreciative of their gesture to give so many free canvases away. I'm just one that will knit pick a bit more because I work with color labs and can distinguish what tints are normal in a photograph and what aren't. These are horrific shots of mine that I grabbed real quick and on the fly but I at least wanted to give you an idea of what they looked like.

If you should want to receive a FREE canvas yourself, feel free to go HERE for the details. Enjoy and have fun.

Blessings, Angie

ONLINE BEGINNER PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:02:00 +0000

Only 4 seats left!

My next beginner online photography class starts this coming Monday, March 1st. As of this moment, we literally only have 4 seats left. If you are interested in signing up, please go HERE to register. Time is running out. If you'd prefer to read a bit more about the details of the class, feel free to visit my photography blog HERE for more information. Should you have any questions, you can email me directly at Angie@AngieSeamanPhotography.com

As you can see, seats are filling up fast. This class is well on its way to being another sold out session. It is a sure fire guess that the remaining slots still open will be gone before the weekend. We've got a great group from all across the country and beyond joining us again. We're going to have a great time and would love to have you join us.

xoxo, Angie

MEET DOTTY...

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Meet Dotty. Dotty is Kenidi's assigned horse each week at therapy. To say that Kenidi loves Dotty would be an extreme understatement. Everyday she asks me about "oohs" which means horse in her language. We think she got horses and cows mixed up somewhere along the way and refers to horses as "oohs" because of the noise that cows make..."mooooo." It is nothing for her to come in with her cowboy boots and her riding helmet asking for the "oohs." I have to count down sleeps with her (days/nights) and remind her that she has 4 more "sleeps" for example before she sees the "oohs" again. These talks have to be the sweetest thing you've ever heard.

The shot above was just my way of capturing the beautiful light that was filtering in thru the barn the other night. It's great to be able to have the weather where she can do this outside year round. Back home in Indy, we had to do it indoors. I was standing right on the edge of the fence and the light was hitting the corner. There is so much to be said about natural light. It really is gorgeous. Thus why I can't stand to use a flash on my camera. EVER!

She looks upset in this shot below but this is Kenidi's shy face. I was snapping photos of her and she noticed me there. She swung that shy look at me and turned away from the camera...

The mundane orange cone below - again just a shot showing the natural light hitting it in just the right way. There is such beauty in the mundane if we are willing to look for it. I love being a photographer because the camera teaches you to look for things you never saw before. To look for beauty in even the ugliest of places...

Those who know me well...know that I love angles. I love architecture. I love lines. Leading lines. I looked up in the barn and saw these lights strategically hanging in a row. Loved it.

And this hook below. Nothing. No significance whatsoever other than the gorgeous natural light that is hitting it again.

I saw this sign on one of the barns. Thought it was very profound. This entire horse facility is run off volunteers. We pay only $10 a week for Kenidi to ride there. The day to day runnings of the facility are done via the help of all volunteers. Even the side walkers you see walking beside Kenidi when she is on the horse are volunteers. This is a HUGE difference compared to the facility that we went to in Indy for her. We loved it there but it was $180 a session compared to the $10 we pay now. Thankfully our insurance paid for most of those sessions back home. The unfortunate part is that many families never get the opportunity to send their child there because it is so costly and they don't have the means to cover it. Very sad!Volunteers ROCK!

These side walkers are there with Kenidi to make sure that should the horse ever act up, they are there to help her. In all the time we've been doing this though, we've never had a horse get out of line. They are what they call "Bomb trained." Meaning even if a bomb were to go off near them, they remain controlled and don't go crazy - especially with a rider on their back. Kenidi tells the horse when to go and when to stop. She is to pull on his reigns when stopping and shake his reigns and tell him to "walk on" when she wants him to go. It is really amazing to see how calm she is when in therapy with these horses.

Now look at these images and notice how all of the locals are wearing coats, muffins around their heads, etc. Kenidi of course just has on a sweatshirt. It was 66 degrees on this particular day - with sunshine. However, according to how the locals were dressed, you would have thought that it was below zero outside. LOL! Of course us Hoosiers are good with a simple hoodie. Ha ha!

It still seems so odd to me to see palm trees with barns and horses. I don't know why. The barns and the animals just remind me of the Midwest. However, they roam where the palm trees grow too...

Now this is what I call one big ol' ceiling fan...

We are so very thankful for all of the therapists, doctors, volunteers, etc. which have now come into our life since moving to Florida. God placed some great ones in our path and we couldn't be more at peace with the individuals we entrust Kenidi with. It is such a scary thing to have to find and recruit all new people to handle the medical issues and the day to day routines (i.e. school) and so forth when it comes to your child. Because Kenidi can't speak to us and tell us her feelings or how her day went, we rely on trustworthy people to make us feel at ease when it comes to her. It is so very tough but when you have relationships with stellar individuals such as these, it makes each day a little easier. Thanks again to everyone who is helping to make us feel so at home here in Florida.

Much love and admiration... Angie

BRENNEN'S BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:19:00 +0000

This shot above is the rec center where Brennen plays on his basketball league. It's a gorgeous park - as all the parks here in Southwest Florida are. The parks here in Florida put our parks in Indiana to shame. It's really embarrassing when you compare the two. The Indiana parks and rec peeps could really take some advice from Florida's head honcho's. That is fo' sho'! This shot just happened to be of the entrance into the rec center. It's just a small snippet of the beauty to behold at this particular location. Either way, thought I'd do a quick blog about his game Saturday...

Yeap, here is the stud-man himself exuding frustration at one point in the game - those long eyelashes and all...

Here is the gym inside the rec center. They also have a massive fitness center inside this same building with a phenomenal day care that looks like a school. It's amazing. Awesome facility to say the least.

Just a simple shot of the basket I kept seeing while down on the floor. Yeap, I'm that Mom who sits at the end of the court and takes pictures the whole game - sprawling out across the floor when necessary...

Like for this shoe shot below. Look how dusty and dirty that floor is though. GAG! Can you guess which tennies are Brennen's?

If you guessed the third set of tennies from the left, then you are correct. He is sitting next to the kid with the white tennis shoes on - with his hands together.

This next shot was just of a little girl sitting on the folded up bleachers. I saw her feet dangling with the flip flops on and thought it was a cute shot...

Here was a fun succession of shots I took during one of the baskets made for Brennen's team...

SWOOSHHHHH...nothin' but net...!

Here is another one of those moments when I got down on the floor - that dirty filthy basketball shoe wearin' floor - in front of all the other parents watching me make a fool of myself - and captured this shot of all the boys running. They have two girls on their team (it's a co-ed rec league here) and I loved the pink converse that were proudly displayed in this shot along with all of the other "boyish" tennis shoes.

Here is their team with their coach. You can see Brennen dead center - peeking thru...

And for those of you wondering if they won or not...here was the final score.

We were the HOME team! YAY!

It was a great game that stayed neck and neck - about 1 point apart - the whole game. (until the end when our team landed a few extras) We love his coach - he's a great guy. Brennen starts football this week as well. It's a spring league. His basketball and football will overlap with one another for the next couple of weeks. He's going to be a tired boy I'm sure. On Mondays for the next few weeks he'll have basketball and football practice - on the same night. It was a fluke thing due to being in two different leagues. However, we are going to play it by ear and see how he can handle it. In the meantime, I am just as anxious to get back out on the football sidelines as he is. LOL!

I'm off to go enjoy the sunny and blissful 76 degree weather here in Naples, Florida today. It has been in the sixties all week so yesterday and today were a great change. Looking forward to a weeks worth of warm temps now that the cold front is gone again. "There is something about the sunshine baby..." (that is a Disney song for those who don't know. It's playing on the movie Starstruck as I type. Catchy little tune if you ask me) Enjoy your week everyone. xoxo, Angie

IN SEARCH OF RECIPES...

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 20:01:00 +0000

Real quick...I'm on the hunt for some healthy recipes centered around Tilapia as well as some healthy recipes for sea scallops. I've been eating much cleaner lately as I attempt to be back in my skinny jeans by May. HA! However, I don't ever really cook those two items and now I am. I'd like to try out some new recipes with them. You know...shake it up a notch.

If you have any recipes for Tilapia or sea scallops, will you forward them to me? You can link me to them by posting a comment on the blog here (below) or feel free to shoot me an email at Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com - I'd be forever grateful and just might photograph your recipe as I'm cooking it should I decide to try it. Then...I'll feature it here on the blog. One quick thing though...they must be for grilled or baked recipes. No fried or breaded things. Must eat "clean." Must eat "clean." LOL!

Thanks friends. Can't wait to hopefully try some new stuff - via your recipes. xoxo, Angie

FIX IT FRIDAY - I HEART FACES

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:45:00 +0000

Over at "I heart faces" today...it's fix it Friday time. I always say that I'm going to take the time to play along and try this but then I usually end up sidetracked and out of time. So this week, I decided I was going to just make time. And I did. Fix it Friday, for those who don't know, is a play along blog game where someone submits a photograph that needs a little "fixing." It might be overexposed, underexposed, etc. and it is our job to throw our own spin on it and fix it. You can be as creative as you like with it. It's always neat to see what other individuals due to the image in order to fix it. Without further ado, here is the image this week that was submitted for all of us to use...

As you can see, it was underexposed and need some help with the lighting and such. I decided to bring up the exposure, add a bit of honey soaked action to it as well as some haze to tone down the background a bit and then I placed a slight texture over the top of the image. Here is the "after..."

I had fun playing with this. For more I heart faces fix it Friday edits of this same image, go HERE.

xoxo, Angie

THE POOL OF LIFE - SOUTH FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000

As I sit in my office and edit each day or when I'm returning emails, paying bills, etc., this is what I look out over my desk and see. This is part of my view. It's the spa over flowing into our pool. Back home in Indiana we would call these hot tubs. However, in Florida, they aren't hot tubs...they are "spas." Guess that is just another small reason why Naples, Florida was just ranked the 11th happiest and healthiest city to reside in nationwide by USA Today. (out of 162 cities across the country) Even their containers of water sound better. HA!

Either way, something about this small little overflow of water makes my days even better. When I look out into that turquoise mass of water and that stream from the fountain is running, it is calming to me. I eyed it up for weeks before finally deciding that it was camera worthy. I kept saying to myself..."Self, you need to get out there with the camera (a.k.a Big Papa) and take some pictures of that running fountain of peace." So...I eventually did. And these are the shots that came from that moment.

I've come to the conclusion that the reason why I love this simple fountain coming out of the spa and into the pool so much is because the spa fountain is a good analogy or educational word picture for me. It is a daily reminder that life is full of recycled events. Full of running outpours that eventually fade into the great big sea of a deep pool we call life. Streams of events that conglomerate to form one big mass of history. No matter what debris flows from that stream or what beauty sparkles from its grip...in the end, it all ends up in one grand place. In the grand scheme of life - serenaded along side other sparkling moments and other pieces of debris that ultimately get skimmed up and pulled away from the pretty. Away from the sparkling. Even though gone, the debris made the sparkling look even better. Even shinier. Even more refined. The debris and its process helped make the sparkling - the bling of life - all that it is.

I heard a quote the other day from within a song called "Broken." (which is broken on my playlist below right now for some odd reason) The quote reads..."Hitting walls and getting scars only makes you who you are. No matter how much your heart is aching, there is beauty in the breaking." How unbelievably profound, eh? I have a dear friend - one of my best friends from high school - who is beginning a new chapter in her life this week. I am beyond upset that I'm not there in Indiana to ring her doorbell donning a big ol' fat pizza in my hand, a bottle of red wine for her - not me - because she loves a "good red" - all while wearing my pj's - ready for a long night of laughs, cries, and oh so important life altering girlfriend moments. I've said it before but I'll say it again...this is the time - in the era of our thirties - when we realize that our girlfriends are needed now more than ever. This is the age when our parents come down with life threatening illnesses, when marriages are battered and left for dead, when marriages end and those involved must begin new chapters, when dear friends die tragically, when we loose jobs and need to find another, when our children are growing up-putting us thru worry at times and we need to vent to another, and so forth. This list goes on and on. This is the era when girlfriends *must* step up to the plate. You know who you are. If you are the girlfriend that says..."Call me if you need me" instead of showing up and ringing their doorbell before they ever even realize that the other needs you, then you should re-evaluate how you treat and treasure your friendships. We don't get to own the title of "gur-fren" for nothing. Friendships are just like marriages. They are hard work - work that is required by two people - giving and taking when necessary. Depleting and replenishing in a fair way. A balancing act of two souls keenly in tune with one another no matter what the geographical distance.

So when your old chapters in life end and a new chapter begins - when your spa fountain runneth' over into that grand pool of life carrying debris, baggage, or better yet...bling...know that it will all recycle and begin anew no matter how ugly or how pretty. In turn, it will leave you more refined and more polished for the next cup that spills over. We will all have life events or certain individuals that are strong enough to bring us down. Make a valid effort to surround yourself with people, friends, family, etc. that are there to help you prove your strong enough to get back up. And if your on the other side of the spa fountain observing the moments of recycling for others, be sure to be the friend that "acts" rather than just "says" I'm here if you need me. I know from my own personal experiences that the ones hurting never have the energy to ask for help. They are on the floor - barely breathing - when the trenches call. It is up to us to act before they even realize they need us. If you aren't there for your *friends* when they are going thru the depths of hell...when DO you plan to be there for them?

You all know how I feel about friendships. True friends are like rare jewels. Hard to find. Hard to hold onto. Treat them as such.

And to my gur-fren back home who is beginning a new chapter of her life today...remember..."crazy is yo' friend." I love ya girl!

xoxo, Angie

PINK - NAPLES FLORIDA PHOTOGRAPHER

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:55:00 +0000

I shot some images of some flowers recently and thought I'd share. They remind me of Spring, Florida, color, happiness, pink-ness and everything else a girl loves. I added the rest of them to my photography blog. There are just a few but you can click HERE to see the others.

I'm off to play catch up today. I have several things on my to do list that need tackled. Imagine that! Other than those errands though, there is much going on. I'm working on details for my Naples photography workshop here in September, spending my time in the sunshine with my laptop while educating myself on some new things regarding photography via a very awesome DVD series from some pro photographers, and just conquering daily life as usual. The kids are at school, Brent is at the office, my Mom is at the license branch, and I'm soaking up the peace and quiet time before everyone returns back home this afternoon. Speaking of the license branch, I owe a huge thank you to all of you who gave me ideas on facebook the other night regarding the personalized license plate for my car. I was asking for advice on different 5 or 7 letter words/phrases regarding photography and boy did you guys give me some fun ones. I found many that were available according to the Florida BMV website. Now I just need to narrow it down and pick one. YAY! You ladies know how I love those personalized plates but instead of ordering one that has to do with AGD this time, I'm ordering one that centers around photography.

Lastly, the seats are filling up fast for my next online beginner photography workshop. It begins March 1st. Should you wish to register for it, the details can be found HERE. I've had many questions about when I'll be offering the next class after that. Truth is...I never know when I'm going to do another one until I look ahead at my schedule for the next couple of months. Right now it is tough to say when I'll offer an additional class because we will be coming back to Indy soon for a quick visit, Spring Break is also approaching, my shooting schedule is picking up due to the vacationers coming down, etc. So...if you want in on a class...now is the time to jump because it is the only date set in stone at this moment.

Have a 'fantabulous' Tuesday and be careful for those of you traveling those roads in the Midwest. I hear it is messy there again. Thank God I don't live there for this pounding you guys are taking this season. I'm there in spirit though... LOL! :)

xoxo, Angie

PEACE OUT, IT'S FRIDAY!

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:25:00 +0000

Peace out...It's Friday.

Hot diggity dawg!

We had a great dinner last night with Joe (our friend from Indiana). Although we missed Tamara and Derek - his wife and son - whom we hope will be back down to visit here real soon. Their family is looking to purchase a vacation home down here in the Cape Coral area so we are pretty stoked and excited about that idea. Derek is one of Brennen's best little pals that he has known since his early elementary school days. We adore their family and hope that they'll be joining us down here as residents soon. It would be great to know that they could "beach it" with us whenever they are in town. :)

That little yellow hand in the photo above is Kenidi's. I think she got it from school. She carries it around in her hand and as small as it is, I always find it sitting or laying somewhere. It's literally about the size of an eraser on a pencil. So tiny. It always makes me laugh though because I've been trying to teach Kenidi how to give the peace sign forever but she just can't figure out how to get only the two fingers up and the others kept down. It's too much coordination for her little hands at this point. She did learn to give two thumbs up the other day though and we've had a hoot with her ever since. She walks around giving everything two thumbs up now. I decided to break out the macro and photograph the chubby little peace sign hands because they remind me of Kenidi so much. Love em'! Love her!

And speaking of love...did I tell you guys how much I love that son of mine too? (even though he NEVER lets me photograph him...he gets it naturally I guess) Yeap, for those of you who aren't friends of mine on facebook, you probably hadn't heard that Brennen made the honor roll here at his new school. I'm so proud of him. It brings me such joy to see him excited about school, his grades, and doing well overall. He came home with a certificate the other day for his honor roll accomplishment and let me know that he got to participate in a special luncheon/party for making the school honor roll. Again, we are thrilled with his transition just as much as we have been Kenidi's. He has a wonderful teacher who has really encouraged him in writing. He loves to write and she's noticed that - and has since promoted his want to keep on writing. His grade level took the "Collier Writes" test here this week. It's part of a test that is similar to our I-Step testing back in Indiana. It had a big portion of the test which centered around writing. The top score you could get was a 6. She let it be known that after skimming quickly over Brennen's test, she felt he had scored either a 5 or 6. I was so pleased and yet again so proud. His grandparents spoiled him with cards and letters in the mail for his hard work. Inside those cards...yeap you guessed it...money. He loves the "green" and I just love their support and the unending encouragement they give my kids. (and me) We are so blessed with the family we have. So very, very, blessed.

On another positive note, please keep my Mom in your prayers. She had a job interview this morning and we are hoping that it went well. She should know something within a week to ten days if they decide to hire her. Please pray for favor in this area with us. We are desperately lifting her up in hopes that she gets some good news and lands this job with benefits, insurance, etc. She needs this and it would be a perfect position for her. Thank you in advance for your prayers. We can't begin to tell you guys how much we appreciate them.

For now...I'm off to go take a 30 or so minute walk/run before coming back to edit some images. The palm trees are swaying here in Florida today and I love getting outdoors to here their actual rustling as they sway back and forth like that. I'm weird - I know. However, they have a sound just as the sea has a sound when its waves come rolling ashore. Happy Friday everyone! Have a superb weekend!

xoxo, Angie

UPDATE ON KENIDI

Angie@AngelicaGraceDesigns.com (Angie Seaman) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:50:00 +0000

No time for a "real" photo today. However, I managed to snap this very blurred and out of focus shot the other night and thought I'd use it anyway. This is how I found Kenidi on her bed the other evening. She was intent on watching her "Bear in the Big blue house" potty training video. Even though she is enthralled with that DVD, I'm about to fire Bear in the big blue house because his potty training videos aren't helping Kenidi get anymore excited about learning the technique herself than when we began. Grrrr! Still trying...

Speaking of Kenidi, many of you have requested that I start putting more photos of her and family back on the blog again. I can honor your request for photos of her because most times she is still a willing participant in front of a lens. Brennen detests my camera now days and I have to physically bribe him to cooperate. LOL! As for Brent and myself...as you know...I rarely post photos of my husband on here and NEVER post images of myself - well almost never. I have decided to keep him and any details concerning him and I as private as possible. I'm sure you've noticed that in the past 8 months. There is a certain individual who reads my blog "hourly" and therefore, I like keeping that person in the dark as well as any others out there who feel that they need to get up in my business or know what is going on in my life. People still think that just because I blog about one millisecond of my life each day that they are owed every detail surrounding us, our family, our children, our lifestyle, etc. Wrong! Don't think so. Believe it or not, there is a HUGE part of me that is a very private person. What you see here is a 20 minute snippet of something that my day held each time I post. That doesn't mean I should have to give a full account or run down of my life to anyone. So...I appreciate all of you who want to see more family photos. You are so very sweet. Again, I can arrange that regarding Kenidi's images. However, for the other three of us...it might be pretty tough. Ha ha! I'm not saying I won't share images of us - EVER - but as you know, it is rare. We like it much better this way. God for bid Kenidi ever turn on the camera. Who knows what I could blog about then.

Speaking of Kenidi, she is doing phenomenally well. Eloise, I know you and several others have asked me how she was doing with her new school. She is doing GREAT! Her teacher is an amazing woman with great patience and unending knowledge when it comes to working with special needs children. We love her. She does well on the bus too - has a great driver and an awesome aide on there each morning and afternoon with her. Kenidi has made great strides since starting at the school back in November. She is a completely different child than she was the first half of the year when she was back in Indiana at her old school. We are so thrilled at the smooth transition she made into the Florida school district. God is good!

We have enrolled in equestrian therapy here in Florida just as we did back in Indiana. She looks forward to it every week. Her horses name is "Dotty" and she is completed obsessed with her. The trainers at the barn have commented on Kenidi's exceptional posture and how she has caught on to riding so much quicker than they've ever seen in a child. They are very pleased with her skills and we thoroughly enjoy watching her tell "Dotty" to walk on as she shakes her reigns and then pulls back on them and says "OP" for stop. It is the cutest thing ever. I have some photos from last week that I'll share here on the blog for you guys soon. They are of her riding Dotty. Fun times!

We have begun visiting a new pediatrician down here and he has been a big help in getting us acclimated and introduced to new therapists, a new well known neurologist in Miami, etc. for her. Again, the transition has gone unbelievably well. God is good!

Speaking of horse therapy though, that is where we are headed now. She visits there every Thursday after school - armed with her riding helmet and pink cowgirl boots that every adult there wants for themselves. Problem is...they only come in kids sizes. :( Trust me, I would've already had a pair for myself if they had come in my size. LOL! After we get back from therapy, a good friend of ours from Indiana is coming over for dinner. I'm cooking lasagna for the crew. It's great to have a "Hoosier" in town visiting us down here. Wonderful to see familiar faces. So for now...have a wonderful Thursday evening. Thanks for always inquiring about Kenidi and the rest of our family. My blog readers ROCK!

Much love, Angie