Black Belt Living

White Sangria

On the new blog!  If you're following me here, be sure to follow me over there. Thanks! 

White Sangria for a Hot HOT Day

Evolution

Neglect, that's certainly what this blog has been suffering from, that's for sure. I don't really know why I stopped updating it.  Well, yes I do and that's the good part.  

I stopped because I've thought for a long time that I need to change my focus and morph this forum into a better blog that's more photography oriented and better suited to what I'm doing right now. My photography business has really picked up, and thanks to the encouragement of a bunch of friends and some talented creative professionals, I'm ready to make that leap. 

So it's my pleasure to announce that in early June, I will be leaving this blog behind and moving to a new site that will serve as both my photography blog and online portfolio. I've been working on it behind the scenes for a few weeks now and I'm really liking how it's looking so far.  

In other big news, I started a new job at AI Software in March, as their project manager and social media specialist. We build websites for other businesses and provide social media management. I train clients on how to maintain their websites, do site changes and population, and do all the social media campaigns. It's such a fun job. I tell people that I get paid to play on Facebook all day. That's not entirely true, but it kind of is to a degree.

So since I'm now an official Social Media Maven, I figure that I should get my own act together in that respect and starting this week, I'm doing that. If you're not already following me on Twitter (and why would you since I rarely update it!), you can find me here and I promise to keep it updated and hopefully fun.  

Lots has been going on around these parts since I quit posting and when I roll out my new blog, I hope you'll follow me there and catch up on all the latest and greatest!

Finally, since no blog entry is complete without a photo, I think I'll post this one. I recently got an iPhone and have been trying to learn how to take creative pics with it using Instagram.  Here is one from Mirror Lake at Eden Park. 

Speaking of Instagram, if you'd like to follow my fumbling efforts and failures over there regarding my iPhone camera, you can find me on Instagram at bahogan.  

See you soon with exciting new updates! 

 

Kelby Photowalk 2011

I can't believe that this is the fourth year of the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk. It's always been so much fun, and so interesting to see how a group of 50 or so people can walk basically the same steps and yet view the world in such different ways.  

This year there were two walks in Cincinnati, but since they were on different days, I got to walk twice! The Saturday walk was hosted by David Ziser and the Sunday walk was hosted by Jason Lykens.  Both are fantastic photographers with entirely different styles and approaches, and so that was extra fun for me. Shannon went with me on the "Jason Walk" this year.  

Here are some of the shots that I took on the Saturday walk, which covered the redevelopment of Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine.

My favorite shot of the day was this one, which I submitted as my entry for the photo contest:

On Sunday, we walked at the end of the day and walked towards the riverfront. My shots look entirely different. I love that!

I have trouble picking my favorite from Sunday, but it's probably this one:

or this one, I can't decide....

What do you think?

Shannon's shot of the day was this beauty:

Pretty awesome, isn't it?  A big thanks to David and Jason for being such great hosts and always keeping it interesting, welcoming, and very very fun! 

Digital Deluge....

I'm not joking, I've been buried under piles of pixels this past week.  Between the volleyball tournament, some photo assignments, and helping Anna Aspnes get her store polished up over at Oscraps, I've been really heating up Mr. Mac. 

I know that I've promised a bunch of people some peeks from last weekend's volleyball tournament, and I'll get there, but those pics have been pushed to the bottom of the pile for a few days. I promise I'll get there! In the meantime, here's another teaser....

As for Anna's team, I've been doing some work for her behind the scenes as well as creating some new layouts. Today, Oscraps is going to be giving her an official welcome and she'll be giving away a freebie, so be sure to get over there and grab it while you can. Anna's products are so unique and nothing like anything else that's out there for digital scrapbooking (at least in my opinion).  Here are some layouts that I've done with her artsy goodness:

Be sure to pop over to The O today to get your freebie, and say hello!  

Hot Stuff

It's all about hot stuff this weekend - hot temps are back and there is a lot of hot volleyball practically in my own back yard. Yes, it's time once again for the US Open Pro Beach Volleyball championships, right down the street from me.  Time to watch some hot volleyball, see some really hot bodies (Olympians, no less!), sweat in the hot sun, and take some hot pictures!

Here are a few pics of the ladies from last year's tournament. For some odd reason, I can't find my pics of the men.  That's just a travesty, I tell you.  So wrong.  Oh well, I'll just have to take more this weekend. I can do that. 

FYI, that's Olympic gold medalists Misty May Treanor in the print shorts (top photo) and Kerry Walsh in the teal tank top (bottom photo).  Nice ladies. It was so cool getting to chat with them last year. I wonder who I'll get to meet this year?  Who knows, but it'll be fun for sure! 

Have a great weeekend!

Happy Anniversary Lena and James

A year ago today (okay, a year ago tomorrow, but it was the last Saturday in August), I drove to lovely southern Kentucky to photography Lena and James's wedding.  Happy Anniversary you two!  

It was fun looking back at your photos last night.  Have a lovely day and here's to many more happy years!

Team Anna 2011

So excited to have been selected for my super creative and talented friend Anna Aspnes's Creative Team for 2011. It's a huge honor!  Anna is moving to Oscraps as of September 1st, so you'll see some of my work over there as well as here. I haven't been sharing much of my work lately, but I say it's time to get back into the groove. I know, I know, I seem to always say that.  

Here are some of my creations using some of Anna's products:

 

And for those waiting for my tennis photos, I'm finally going to have some time to work on them today, I promise.  Good stuff.  Here's a sneak peek....

I love Rafa Nadal, he's so animated when he plays!

Canine Misconceptions

I've had dogs for the good majority of my life. But today I realized that I was still holding on to some old canine misconceptions.

1) Dogs shed in the spring and build their coats in the fall and winter.  WRONG!  This dog sheds all of the time. 

2) Black dog hair is way more obnoxious than white dog hair. WRONG AGAIN! 

3) Westies don't shed.  WRONG. Westies might not shed, but Westie mixes sure do. 

Right?

RIGHT!

(got a new phone yesterday, so I have been testing out the camera. Not too bad for a phone camera!)

 

Paper Christmas Ornaments

I can't believe how long it's been since I updated. The dreaded cold virus caught up with all of us here and really brought us to our knees for a solid week and more. Ugh. It's good to be back feeling decent again, and feeling like I want to do more than just sleep and watch television.

Our house is all decked for the holidays and it looks so pretty. I was considering leaving my large Santa collection in storage for the year ~ it just seemed like such a task to haul them all out ~ but I was talked out of their extended hibernation and now I'm really glad. I have one new one this year, a Cincinnati Cyclone Bobblehead Santa. A friend told me that he looks stoned, and I have to agree!

I think he's fun, though, even if he looks too old to make the NHL someday. 

This year we have three trees ~ the gold and crystal tree in the family room, the big tree in the living room with all of my glass ornaments, and the paper tree in the dining room. The paper tree is fun, it's got homemade ornaments and paper chains that Shannon and I have made over the years. In the past, the decorations on it have been pretty sparse, so this year we worked on making it better. Shannon made more chains, and yesterday I spend a chunk of time with my craft supplies making more ornaments. Here is a photo mosaic of some of the ornaments that I made yesterday. 

It was so much fun getting out the craft supplies yesterday. I haven't done that in a REALLY LONG TIME. I might have to make a few more today. I promised myself that if I finished my chores (laundry, bathrooms, clean the fridge, and mop the hardwood floors), that I'd let myself play with paper and glue for a little bit longer. 

Some were easier than others to make, but in general, they were all pretty easy and fun. It was a great way to spend a really cold, snowy day.

Dallas Observations

Okay, I've been here in Dallas for about 24 hours now. I've been here before, but it's been a while. Some observations....

1) the airport is bigger than I remember. It should have it's own zip code. It probably does.

2) I've always been good with directions, I've been here before, I've got a map, I've got a Garmin, and I've taken so many wrong turns already. Driving here is not for sissies. I also got pulled over last night, but the cop was great and let me go. He was great, and helpful too.

3) The food here rocks....no debate! Had dinner at Babe's Chicken House tonight and I think I've died and gone to chicken-fried heaven.

4) Churches are massive here. What's that all about?

5) JerryWorld....the new Cowboys stadium looks like it's own planet or alian spaceship. I can't wait to see the inside. The Bengals are so bad this year that I could be a Cowboys fan again, but they're sucking too. Go Texans!

6) I'd forgotten how much I like country music, line dancing, and cool cowboy boots. I've been away too long. And I miss Garth Brooks.

But no matter where you are and why you're there, it's great to be with your family and see friends who live far away. That's what it's all about, and we never have enough time.

More later. If this looks goofy, it's because this is my first blog post via iPad.