Am I the last to know about Blinking Ice Cubes?

I was impressed by a lot at the BOB awards party thrown by Charlotte Magazine and all their sponsors on Thursday night.  But, am I the last to know about blinking ice cubes?  I thought everyone’s frosted beverage glasses were blinking until the fine folks came around distributing blinking plastic ice cubes.  LOVE IT!  They blink in different speeds, and when I got a little nauseated staring at it, you can change it to no blink.  Assuming you don’t mind sticking your hands in your drink.  If you drive by our house and the lights aren’t on, but it looks like we’ve installed a disco ball, you’ll know what we’re doing.

I should add that the blinking ice cubes were sponsored by Blacklion, so they get their money’s worth.  Whitney actually sculpted the original black lions at Concord Mills when it opened (when I was in labor with Bryton) so I already love them.

Named Best of the Best – Charlotte Magazine

Ellen Yale Photography was voted Best Wedding Photographer 2012 – I love the name, the BOB, Best Of the Best Award in Charlotte Magazine.  You can’t beat an award named Bob.  It’s just so friendly.  Fred or Charlie would be good, but not so good as an acronym.  But I digress.

I don’t know who nominated me, or who voted for me, but I am thrilled and honored.  I already checked, and it wasn’t my Mom or husband, so since someone else thinks I’m the best of the best, I am on a photographer high.

I thought I was one of those best kept secrets in Charlotte.  Like Mueller’s hamburgers before they had a sign.  Or one of those clubs in NYC with no sign, you just have to know someone who knows someone, who tells you an address and maybe a secret knock.

So here I am!  And to celebrate, I want to spread the love.  Any wedding photography booked by the end of May will get a 10% discount.

This was addressed ATTN: MANAGEMENT.  I was thinking Ed McMahan had sent it posthumously.

I was impressed by the die cut invitation to the party.  When I saw it, I was beginning to think this was more than just some joke by Ed McMahan.  They wouldn’t waste die cutting on someone who just might be a winner.  Die cutting is for winners.

I Moved a Horse with my Mind

I had an incredible experience yesterday at the Triple Play Farm in Davidson, NC.  I had been hearing more and more about equine facilitated learning, and found the Triple Play Farm on Michelle Icard’s (Michelle in the Middle) blog, and had been emailing Kris Batchelor, the owner, about attending a workshop.  The session I had hoped to get in had just filled up, so I thought I would go to one of the monthly open houses since I was drawn to this place.  Then Kris called with an opportunity.  They needed someone who had never met the herd or been a part of this type of facilitation.  It was going to be a demonstration for a segment on WCNC with Michelle Boudin.  The thought went through my mind that there wasn’t enough time to lose 10 pounds, but heck, I’m in!

I don’t know that much about equine facilitated learning, but I know that we can learn a lot without talking, that nature is a powerful calming agent, and that those dogs always do exactly what the Dog Whisperer wants when he walks in the room.  We’re sending out all sorts of signals with our postures, movements and sounds.  Kris helped me with some basics of what would make sense to the horse.  He and I were in there alone, and he walked, then trotted, then went back to a walk, and came to me.  Then he followed me around.  Pretty cool.  Kris and the fabulous Rosie Molinary talked with me before and after about how it related to my life outside the ring.  What could have been trite actually had some meaning for me.

And that’s what I learned from the experience… when I have a clear purpose, it shows, and others will follow.  And if that’s just a taste of it.  Just think what I’ll get when I go back for the whole seminar.

Thanks to the women who I feel privileged to know… Kris, who is kind and strong and everything a woman should be, Rosie and  Michelle from WCNC.  And Pierre, the photographer… my hat is off to you sir.  You really worked your camera angles in the blazing heat.

Kris (above)

Rosie (above)