Ch-ch-ch-changes

You know, I can't say the word changes without actually singing the word in my mind. I have the same problem whenever I meet an Allison. Anyway...

I'm back. The wedding is over and it was great, except for some minor changes along the way.

The biggest change was the dress. The one I ended up wearing is not the lovely, gold & teal handmade one I bought so long ago. I came to the point were the dress was just a little too tight and not comfortable. I couldn't take the pressure any longer of trying to make it work, so I opted for this light silver, summery number. It ended up working out so well, especially since the boy looks so cute in gray.

Then I ended up getting a cold a couple of days before the ceremony. It was as if the moment I checked off the final item from my to-do list that it happened. I remember sneezing in the store and that was the moment it hit me. (This is so typical. I had a sinus infection during the prom as well.)

Me, my mom, and my best friend went and bought about six different medicines trying to find one that would stop my nose for awhile. It was a lot of medicine, but my mom's a nurse, so I figured it was ok.

In the end, I just had to remind myself that if those girls on America's next top model can get up for a photo shoot when they are feeling like death, then I could do it too. Ha ha, as Tyra would say, "Just smile with your eyes."

And a huge THANKS goes out to my talented photographer (and boss), Donna Tine. Her pictures came out so beautifully as you can see here. It was so nice to not only have someone I knew taking the photographs, but also someone who directed everyone naturally and with ease. Thank you, Donna!

Photography for Etsy

More coffee sleeves cut out and ready to flip.

I've been having a tough time this weekend trying to figure out the best kind of photography for my Etsy shop. You can see here that when I photograph the coffee sleeves on the table against the green wall, the light and texture looks so good. But I have learned that using background colors different from the item itself discourages people from using these types of photos in Treasuries, collection that are sometimes chosen for the front page of Etsy.

I don't have a white or neutral colored wall in the room with the most light, so I decided to try a white curtain for the background. I don't think it's working out, though. The photo then becomes bleached out somehow. Or maybe my camera is just off.

Anyway, I'll be experimenting more. I hope this doesn't affect item views!