doo doo doo, lookin' out my back door.

I really don't think it's a matter of opinion. Friday afternoons are the BEST. I went shoe-shopping (successfully) and caught up on American Idol (embarrassing, yet predictable). But then, I got cabin fever, and I thought, you know, I could probably go play with the camera in the backyard. There aren't many flowers blooming right now, but that's ok... I like the way they turned out anyway!

   

I love that even though the hydrangeas are dried up, they're still so beautiful!

I actually don't know what this is, but it's hanging from a tree in our backyard.  Should probably ask Mom 

about that.

To take this picture, I was laying on my stomach in the grass.  It was fun until I realized that there was an alarmingly high likelihood that I was laying in dog poop.

This actually wasn't in the backyard (obviously).  They're the flowers Dad got Mom for Valentine's Day.

my small obsession

When I was in college, one of my friends and I made a habit out of going to visit other universities on the weekends.  We don't even really know how it started, and we (almost) never had a specific reason to go, but I think maybe it was because it was a fun way to remind ourselves how lucky we were to go to UNC.  But honestly, we saw some beautiful campuses, and I took non-stop pictures.  Consider this your tiny break from the avalanche of UNC pictures I may or may not end up posting on this blog. :)

Burruss Hall at Virginia Tech

Outside Carter-Finley Stadium at N.C. State

Near the Amphitheatre at the University of Virginia

UNC v. Georgia Tech in Bobby Dodd Stadium (we were soaked and sad by the end of this game!)

You didn't think you were actually going to get out of here without a Carolina picture, did you?

some favorite places

When I was younger (and we were living in North Carolina the first time around), one of my family's favorite places to go on summer vacation was Sunset Beach. We all missed it a LOT when we moved around the southeast, but since moving back to Raleigh, we've gone every summer for the past four years! It's so beautiful, and this is one of my favorite pictures of the pier.

Without question, North Carolina is my favorite state, but West Virginia is in my top five. For a few summers, my cousin was a white water rafting guide on the New River, so I would go up there for a couple days each year to go rafting with him. This is a picture of the gorge from the Fayetteville, WV Visitors' Center. Definitely go if you ever get the chance!

Ohhhh Las Vegas. You are so unpredictable, and yet, so commercially mesmerizing. My best friend, Amanda, was Miss North Carolina 2008, so when she headed to Vegas in January of 2009 to compete for Miss America, my friend, Jessica, and I were right there! This was taken from the top of the "Eiffel Tower" at the Paris Hotel. I wish we could have stayed longer!

I'll leave you with this... a drool-worthy picture of my Great Uncle's Bentley. Last summer, my cousin got married in Florence, SC. Almost every member of Uncle Billy's family has driven away from their weddings in this car, and this wedding was (supposed to be) no exception. My cousin and his bride ended up getting pretty sick during the reception, so they had to leave early (in a different car), but the rest of us enjoyed the party!

first post!

Hi, everyone! So, it would be difficult for me to explain to you how much I love taking pictures. At the beginning of my senior year of college, my computer actually started fussing at me for using up too much space on my hard drive! It's safe to say I took a few thousand during my four years at UNC, and, being OCD, I made sure they weren't taken half-heartedly. They were all of people and places I loved, and when people would ask me why I took so many, I would simply tell them that when they are old and senile and can't remember a single moment of college, I'll be able to flip through my pictures and remind them! Right now, photography is only a hobby, but in the future, who knows?! I'll be posting more as I take and edit them, so check back occasionally for little peeks into my world. Thanks for stopping by!

I'll start with a few pictures of Chapel Hill. (I promise I'll branch out, but cut me some slack. I spent four years there).

This is the entrance to the Coker Arboretum. It's not a place most students walk through everyday, but it was right outside my senior dorm, and it took my breath away when I found it like this one morning!

I was in the marching band at UNC, which meant I got to travel quite a bit for away football games. I took this picture of Atlanta from the hotel balcony one morning before we played Georgia Tech. (We lost).

Graduation. Both one of the happiest and one of the saddest days of my life.

Over the next few days, I'll post pictures of other people and places that are important to me. Stay tuned!