Somber day

It is with a very heavy heart that I tell you Ann Cunningham passed away yesterday after a valiant battle against cancer.

Those of you who know me, have no doubt heard of Ann, and to those of you who had never met her, all I can say is, I wish you had.

She was so many things to so many people. Mother, Friend, Sponsor, Grandmother, Mentor, Teacher, etc. and surrogate to many. She helped so many people battle their addictions and pain, always with the perfect awareness of what was needed. Humor, anger, kindness, sternness, or grandiosity.

Whatever the case, SHE was the one who gave unconditional love in the truest meaning of the term. Never judging, always accepting. She tried to teach us all to be our best selves.

She did all she could to prepare us for this day, still thinking of others up until the end. My family and I are so blessed for having had her in our lives, and grateful for all of her generosity and love.

She was truly one of God's angels and she will be greatly missed.

New year 2010

New year 2010
Originally uploaded by Flair4hair

It's New year's eve, and we are home. Warm and snug in our robes and flannel pants! We're gonna graze, watch some tv, and have a glass of champagne to ring in the new year! (IF we can make it to 12! lol)
I don't feel melancholy at this time of year, just hopeful for the promise of the new year. I wish everyone Health, Happiness, Prosperity, and Love for the coming year.

Chris and I had a wonderful, quiet Christmas at home. We didn't travel anywhere, which was nice. We missed our families, but we were happy to just be home. We hope you had nice holidays as well.

I am so happy and grateful I was able to visit California twice last year! It was so nice to see my friends and family. I am glad that recent events waited until I was done to happen, and now I may not be flying until restrictions are lessened.

I am hoping to get busier at the salon. In my down time I will continue to take pictures and grow as a photographer!
I should have a book with my textured photos ready to sell soon!
I have sold 4 of my photos already! :) I know it sounds small, but I am so tickled that people like my photos!

I am enjoying Winter, and hope that this is the year we get some snow! Chris keeps telling me it happens...hehehe He says we live in the "no snow zone". The storms come to just about an hour West of us, and then go up and over to North Carolina! GRRRR
I think we have the best chance this year, because it's been so wet. You bet I will take pictures if it does!

We love you all! Please be safe out there!
Happy New Year!

Chris and Kelly

On your mark....

Get set....That's what I'm doing.

I thought I might try to post a little more often...if I can.

I'm packing and getting ready to come out to CA for a week! I can't wait to see my friends and family! :)

I'm just bummed it's been raining, but oh well! it will make for cooler photos!

Speaking of which...if you haven't been lately, check out my Flickr stream for newness.

Last night Chris and I went to the Holiday lights at the Riverbanks Zoo. It is literally 1 mile from our place. They have a bahzillion lights up, and music playing, and cool fire pits where you can roast marshmallows! I thought it would be cool to take pictures, but they didn't come out that great. Some were good, but only a couple were great. They were of the carousel. I love taking bulb shots of lighted moving objects! Here is one:

I love that the girl with her arms spread came through! She's flying! :)

I'll see many of you next week!

Cheers!

November?! Already?!

Oh man, I'm a big slacker! It's been way too long, and I'm sorry. I have no good reason. It's pure laziness.

I can't believe it's Thanksgiving week already! Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm going to recap before I go into what I'm Thankful for.

You know, if I did this more often, I wouldn't have so much to type! sheesh.

I'm feeling great after the colonoscopy and treatment. Yoga and walking also keep me feeling good.

October is Fair time here, and you know I loves me some Fair! :) Chris and I went on the first dry day after the fair opened. So did EVERYONE else! It was fun tho, I brought my camera.

We ate the pre requisite fried food: deep fried mushrooms this year. (I just can't do the Oreos, Snickers, chocolate covered bacon, etc.) And, as is tradition, we shared some funnel cake at the end. :)

We watched the crazy kids on those spinny, whirly, upside-down rides knowing how only the young can endure that! I swear tho, the look on this one kids' face as he came down on that free fall ride was worth the price of admission. We ROARED with laughter.

The only ride we like is the Ferris wheel. I like the view from above, and it's slow.

Anyway, I took some really cool photos, and then textured a couple (I'll tell you later) to make them look 'old timey'! They came out so good that I made "The Daily Click" (photo of the day) on Shutter Sisters (an Internet photo site) for Nov. 1st! Here they are

Business was VERY slow at the end of October, beginning of November. As a way to not get discouraged, and stay creative, I poured myself into photography. I feel it keeps creativity flowing in my life, and it's fun!
I am constantly saying, so forgive me if it's too much, how Beautiful this State is! Well, this Fall has been AMAZING! I really am like a 6 year old discovering all the cool nature here! I see mushrooms and I say "COOL!" I found this whole mossy ecosystem growing on the side of a boulder, and I was just sooo happy!

I have been to the Riverbanks Botanical gardens twice now, where I have seen the most gorgeous flowers, some for the first time! (seriously, like a 6 year old!)

I love my camera, and I love nature. God is great.

I have been quite zealous about getting good shots, so much so that I threw my back out! It's much better now, but I am still sore in my lower back, and very much look forward to a massage with Frankie when I come to CA!

I have many new photos up, and was a finalist again with this photo

on a fellow bloggers monthly "pix" contest! It really is a great feeling when people like and appreciate your art.

Flickr has been the most incredible thing for me lately. It is a photo sharing site online. (mentioned in previous post) That's where I learned more about texturing, and get a lot of my inspiration. I have taught myself a lot, and I'm pretty proud of some of my work! If there was something I wanted to learn, I would Google it, and find a tutorial. There is A LOT to learn.
I am using Photoshop Elements, and that is where the 'enhancing' takes place. :)

My friend Anthony suggested that I make a book of my textured photos, so I have! When I get it, and see what it's like, I'll either make them available for sale, or start all over again! :)
I could go on and on about flowers, nature, photography, textures, Flickr and all of that for days, so I'll just say, go see my photos if you get a chance, and feel free to comment on anything you like!

Now the phone is ringing again (Thank God) and I am getting busier at the salon as the holidays near.
I am doing many things to get busier. Connie and Jeanne are helping by introducing me to people in Lexington. Hopefully, I will soon be busy again in my new location.

Chris and I are headed to Beaufort for Thanksgiving, and will stay for a couple of days. I am Thankful for so many things. My health, and the health of my family and friends mostly.
Our dear friend Ann is battling cancer, and we are praying for her health, and comfort. I am thankful for my home and all the beauty that surrounds me. I am Thankful for my boyfriend and the love and support he gives me. And I am thankful for all that God has provided for me.
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

One last thing...I'm coming back to CA in less than 3 weeks! WOO HOO! Get excited people! lol
I can't wait to see many of you. Dec 9th to 16th.

Love you all!

Update for Fall

It's Autumn again, and I think it's been too long since I've written! Lots going on, time just gets away from me.

August was relatively quiet, and marked a couple of anniversaries for me. My 3 year quit smoking anniversary, and a year since I quit Starbucks. I don't miss either, except for my co-workers from Starbucks! I miss how Starbucks USED to be. Back when all they cared about was coffee, and not trying to make one thing for everyone.

Recently the weather has gotten good enough for us to go out and enjoy the zoo, and I have really been into taking lots of photos with my new camera!

Here's Krissy the giraffe, and

Chris feeding the Lorikeets.

I went to the butterfly exhibit downtown, and am truly amazed by natures beauty! Lately we've been taking drives around town, and looking for things to shoot during our errands!

More recently, the salon I was working for closed. Without getting into all the drama, lets just say the lease was up, and the partners decided to dissolve the partnership.

Luckily I found a really cool place to work, in a very unique setting. Only here in South Carolina (I think) could I find a salon INSIDE a country store! Hard to describe, but it works! It's called Hello Gorgeous! Isn't that cute?

A cool old barn looking building, that the owner built a salon in the middle of for a lady that had been looking for a new place to work about a year ago. As fate would have it, she was ready for another stylist to join her, and as she was calling the newspaper to place an ad, my co-worker Jeanie was on the line calling her for a job! She got TWO new stylists, and we are all cozy and happy in our new place.

Here is my room in the salon, and the outside of the building.
We share the store with the owner who makes sausages from his father's recipe, and 2 guys who make pastries for local restaraunts, and cakes for weddings and parties.



I have also been getting back into yoga, and am really enjoying it. I found a cool studio here and feel better after every session.

Also keeping healthy by having my first colonoscopy since moving here to SC. I have been seeing a very good Gastrointerologist, and he was kind enough to give me a free colonoscopy since I don't have insurance. It was just this past Friday, and aside from the yuckie prep, it went really well! I am happy to report that I had NO polyps! This is great news since I had to have my surgery due to a cancerous polyp. He did put me on a flash dose of prednisone, but it's only 20 days, and does a good job getting the inflammation down, so I can deal with that.

That's it really for now. I am happy to share my photos with you if you want to see my favorites, go to this link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flair4hair/

I am feeling very blessed, and grateful for all I have.

I love you all, hope to see many of you this December, until then, enjoy your Autumn, and tell me what you're going to be for Halloween! :)

Hello from hot and humid South Carolina!

I had a great whirlwind trip to California! 4 very full days of visiting, and catching up! I wanted to wait until everyone got their photos before I wrote about the trip. I want to post some of the pictures here, but didn't want this to be the first place you saw them!

Everything went as planned, and I couldn't be happier that everyone was available to come out and play with me! :)

My flights were smooth, and I have learned that curbside check-in is my friend! When I got to Charlotte, there were 4 missionary groups trying to check in the same time I was. I'm not a big stress person, but I get a little stressed before a flight until I am through security.

Landed in LA, picked up my car, and jumped into traffic (2pm) headed to Orange County! I got to see everyone at Maxwells Salon, except for Shannon and Rob. pssshhh. What_Ever. hehehe

Then to Danielle and Malcolm's where I got to meet their sweet, and adorable little Catie!

I think she is the happiest baby on the planet, and I got to see her crawling and pulling herself up the sofa. She is going to be a baby on the run soon. She was the first muse for my new camera!

Got to relax and change before Anthony and Karianne came over to go to SouPlantation with us! It's their daughter Gillian's and my favorite salad bar! I miss the food there so....

I had a nice time catching up, and sitting at the table sharing a meal, made me realize how much I really miss my friends. I thought how nice it would be to pick them up and take them home with me! Little Miss Gillian wasn't feeling well, and I'm sorry we didn't have more time together, but turns out she had the flu! Poor Sweetie. She's all better now. I love the picture she drew for me, and her ballerina photo!

The next day was the OC Fair and my neice and nephew Emily and Jackson!

Eric brought the kids down, and we enjoyed the rides, games, animals, and the mister they got to cool us down! I'm glad I wore Catie's 70+ sunscreen that day! It was so great to see them, and it was totally worth lugging the camera around for all the awesome pictures I got of our time together!

I had to leave the fair and get back to Danielle's for a fun BBQ with some more friends, and get ready for the B-52's concert! YAY! I'd been looking forward to that for months! Danielle, Malcolm and I met up with our friend Stephanie, and we had a great time, as the band never disappoints! They still rock! So fun! Thanks guys!

Monday I left OC, and went down to San Diego county to see Ann and family, then to Julie's that evening. I had a very nice visit with Ann, and it was great to catch up with her one on one, until her grand babies came home!

I got to see all of the kids this trip, and it warms my heart to see them so grown up, and happy! I missed the rest of her family, but I got to see Sandy, and look forward to coming back in December, for a full days visit!

Off to Julie's in Oceanside, and the cool ocean breeze! It was great to see my Sister!

They have such a great house, and their new kitchen is fantastic! Greg did an awesome job! Everyone was home (which was a feat with teenagers!) and again, it was great to see the kids! I can't believe how grown up and tall the boys are! Ay carumba! When did that happen?!?

Soon after I arrived, so did my friend Flicka and her 2 daughters! WOW are they grown up now too!

We had a great time sitting around in the kitchen, talking, laughing, catching up, snacking, and laughing some more. A nice Surprise was my friend Sharon coming by to visit after work. I feel very blessed that my friends went out of their way to come visit with me. It was so fun to just sit and talk like no time had passed. We cracked up, and took lots of fun pictures. A fun night.

Tues was my last day, and no shortage of things to do. Off to Laguna Beach to meet with my high school Spanish teacher Andrea, which was a last minute treat to have some tea there at Main Beach. I do miss the Pacific. Then lunch with my friend Frankie, and a little shopping, before jumping back onto the freeway headed back to LA and my cousin Nancy's house! Are YOU tired yet?

We had a nice visit alone before the family got home, and we all went out to Casa Vega for Mexican. I got a good fill of Mexican food this trip. I should be ready again in December! It was really nice to be just hanging out there. No parties, no more people coming over, just some actual down time so I could regroup, and repack for the morning. Family is good for that. You don't feel like company, that has to be entertained. I love that.

Up the next morning early to get the rental car returned, and to the airport for curb-side check in, security, and *sigh* I made it! Now I just relax until my flight. I had a great time in CA, and was ready to go home. I wish I had more time, but I sure made the time I had count!

I was ready to be home to my man, my bed, my shower, etc.

I just love flying into the Carolinas, with all the trees and rivers. From the air it's just beautiful! We got in early, and I was on my way, when a MASSIVE thunderstorm started. GREAT.

The lightning was so bright, I had to put my sun visor down! It was really bad in parts, and I could only go about 45mph. It took me a good 2+ hours to get home. :( Only to have it raining so hard at home I couldn't even get out of the car! Chris put on his swim trunks and came out to greet me. I parked in the loading zone, left my bags in the car, and we made a mad dash for it!

SHEW! What a long day! So glad to be home. Needless to say I slept very well that night! Good planning to take the next day off.

Thank you again to everyone who let me stay with them, and to everyone who took time out to come eat, play, or hang out with me! I had a great time, and look forward to seeing those of you I didn't get to see when I return in December!

I love you all. Thanks for reading all of this!

California, here I come!

Right back where I started from....

Hey everyone!

It is the eve of my first trip back to California since moving to SC!

I am so very excited to see everyone, and so sad I didn't give myself NEAR enough time to do and see everything and everyone I want to.

My only explanation is that when I was living in CA, I literally could not afford to take more than 5 days off of work, so I always worked my vacations into long weekends. I kind of carried that over to here, and since I found such good airfare 9 months before I would actually go....I didn't realize I had that much time to save, and make sure I could take a nice, long trip for a proper visit.

So, I am cramming all I can into a short 4 day trip (the 5th day is travel).

If I don't get to see you this trip I am sorry, BUT, I am happy to announce, that I found an equally good airfare to bring me back for a PROPER weeks visit in December! YAY! Details to follow, I haven't even left for THIS trip yet! lol

Chris and I are doing really well, and surviving the heat of Summer much better than last year this time, when we had just finished moving into our new Apartment!

Work is slow, as always in the Summer, with kids home, and family vacations, but it's steady. Many changes going on at the salon, but I am interested to see how things pan out.

It's the perfect time for a trip home to see family and friends!

I finally got a new camera! Yes, yes, I am officially in the digital age now!

It's a Canon, to replace my Canon film camera. I can use my old lenses on the new camera which is very cool. I can't wait to get pictures of the kids, and everyone! Here I am...

I am most looking forward to...(besides SEEING everyone)... REAL Mexican Food, Souplantation, cooler weather with no humidity, the FAIR!, the B-52's concert!!, meeting Miss Catie Craycroft, Jack in the Box, the Pacific Ocean, and the sense of being "home".
I can't wait to be there! See many of you tomorrow! or days from now, and many more in December!

Love you all.