trufflequeen's Xanga

Long Time...

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 23:58:31 GMT

Hello random people who still check out my blog! Yes, I know I haven't blogged since April. Most of my pictures get posted on Facebook now. Find me at: www.facebook.com/vanessagirl.

For now, I leave you with this:

GO COLTS! This is the new stadium just completed last year...Took this image across the river at a wedding I was shooting.

A Wee Pianist

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:26:41 GMT

My teacher's granddaughter...she's a natural.

This girl plays as naturally as she breathes...and LOVES it! Her grandmother was much like her at that age and is now teaching her. I expect her to go far. Oh, did I mention she's the only girl in a set of triplets? Oh yes, she's special. ;)

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; Welcome Home McFarland family!

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:05:59 GMT

I posted this all over on Facebook, but thought I'd share it with my faithful xanga readers as well. =)

Since many keep asking me to talk about the whole Extreme Makeover experience, I thought I'd do it in one fell swoop. Read on...

Like many of you, I've followed EMHE for quite a while and always thought it would be cool to actually volunteer on a build-site. My favorite people on the show are Paul (DiMeo) & Ed (Sanders). They just seem awesome. ;) What an amazing thing to see a group of people give so much for one family and work together to do it. I'm reminded of how much more beautiful it is to give rather than to receive.

Just about 3 weeks before the door-knock, I happened upon an email that my mom showed me mentioning a group that was trying to volunteer together on-site in... YUUUUSSSS! EMHE was coming to Indy!!
I immediately signed up to volunteer online, figuring I was too late. A few days later, I got my shift assignment! Do I hear another...YuuuuusssSSSSS!!! I was pumped. Thursday morning, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Eight hours. Yes. I can do it.
I also had a photography conference the same week- OSP Indy, Mon-Wed. A friend there asked if I was shooting for EMHE, which of course, I wasn't, but I asked who I could contact to see if they needed anyone else. She gave me the lady's email address, and next thing I know, I'm signed up to shoot from 6-10 a.m.!! Could it get any better??

I arrived at the sign-in station about 5:45 and signed my life away, put on my XL blue volunteer t-shirt and met up with the other shooter, my friend Polina. When we arrived on-site, we were issued hard hats and all-access passes. YUUUssssss! That means we can pretty much go anywhere. ;)

It was still dark out when we arrived, but the entire site was well-lit and people were hard at work.
I shot away, capturing the build as it happened. Polina and I finally went to breakfast part-way thru the shift and that's where I met Paul. He just walked into the dining/volunteer tent with his breakfast burrito and sat across from another lady (thought she was just another volunteer). I was almost done with breakfast, so of course took the opportunity to go over and get my picture and talk to him a bit. I found him very kind and down-to-earth. There was no "Hollywood-ishness" about him save his goofy glasses. I ended up taking pictures of several other people with him and Polina got me with him. Yay!!

(dig my hard-hat hair)

Ed & Michael were around a lot while we shot and while I volunteered. There were crews around them- directors, cameras, etc. and we were mainly to kinda stay out of their way. When I put my camera away and started my volunteer shift, a lot more spectators started showing up. I was lugging flooring up the stairs inside the house with several others and Michael was shooting a clip on the roof outside the upstairs window where I was dropping off the flooring. A few of us ended up helping him through the window once he finished shooting. It was rather, um awkward, but hilarious. =) He was pretty nice. He ended up being around quite a bit while I was working inside.

I ended up working part of the time with a neat lady in the kitchen cleaning out cabinets. We ate lunch together and a bunch of the crew from EMHE ended up sitting at our table. I talked with a couple sitting next to me for a while (the wife was the one that Paul sat with at breakfast) and found out they were part of the "Art World" crew. This was the 5th house they've worked on and do it all volunteer. They had gotten to know all of the cast and crew pretty well and both confirmed that Ed and Paul were the two most down-to-earth of the whole crew. They were the two that did a lot of their own work- building special projects.
Art World is the affectionate name for the tent where they do all the special projects- i.e. headboards, cutouts, bookshelves, special cabinets, etc. I got up to leave and told the kind couple it was great talking and asked if we could get a picture before I left. They said, "Why don't you just come on over to the tent?" Suhweeet. My cabinet cleaning friend and I followed them over and found Ed and Michael and much of the camera crew and directors back there. Ed was working on a round table he was building (beautiful) but soon got called away to go shoot some clips.
Next thing I know, Mr. Hollywood Director came over and asked 3 of us to come help him with something. ??? We followed him into an adjoining tent where he told us to look busy in the background while they shot Ed explaining a project he was working on for Courtney- an executive desk. We're gonna be on TV!!! We picked up boards that didn't need to be picked up and rolled up extension cords that didn't need to be rolled and were quite the good little actors.

Keep in mind that this is at the end of my shift and I look pretty much nasty. HA! Makes it all more authentic, eh? Ed was crazy funny. It took about 5 or 6 takes to get the clip, then we got our pictures with him. As I got my picture, I told him, "You and Paul are my favorites, but don't tell Ty." To which he replied (in his great accent), "You've got good taste, m'dear." I know. Can't help it.

So that's how Vanessa got on TV and met Paul, Ed and Michael. Watch the episode on May 17th, ABC. It's also the season finale so will be 2 hours.

If you'd like to read the story of the incredible McFarland family, now owners of the new home and library, go to: www.estridgeextremedream.com. Big shout-out to Estridge Builders. What an amazing company and incredible team they have! I am impressed with their testimony as followers of Christ and with their extreme generosity.

And if you're still reading, you're stellar. Or you don't have ADD...if I were you, I'd be done a long time ago

Check out more pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=238846&id=722185243&l=428fe960a3

and also: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=239010&id=722185243&l=61e8d78643

I THINK the public links to the albums will work okay...if not, join Facebook and be my friend. ;) Thank you, Lord for the opportunity to serve and meet new people that You love.

Natalie {Senior '09}

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:47:09 GMT

What do you get when you mix a gorgeous dark haired girl with stunning eyes and the charm that is found in a small midwestern downtown? Some very awesome senior pictures!!

Without further ado....

Wow..so many to choose from!! I had a blast walking all around our downtown! Natalie is a sweet girl that didn't complain no matter what I asked her to do. You'd never know she "isn't comfortable in front of the camera."

God is going to do great things in and through her in the coming years! Thanks, Natalie for a great afternoon!

“For I know the thoughts I have towards you, says the Lord. Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Fun. Family.

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:23:16 GMT

A fun candid...I like little Chloe in the middle. =)

Gotta love it. =)

So, if you want to be around some REAL people, hang around this family. I had such fun doing this shoot with them and am grateful for their friendship to our family.

Sunsets and Bonfires

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 23:27:10 GMT

Went to a bonfire a couple of weeks ago...when the sky started doing all these amazing things, I knew I had to experiment. Quentin, being in one of his western moods, had duded up in his western duds. I grabbed him as the sky rapidly changed and we started a-shootin'-except not with a 6-shooter. =D

'Twas an absolutely perfect autumn evening with hot dogs, s'mores, and friends. Lovely lovely.

Notice the glowing belt buckle. That was by mistake. Seriously. His belt buckle was made of leather!

A rare shot of Dad- relaxing!!

Beautiful Leah.

Praying for our nation and our elected leaders- current and future. Much responsibility rests on their shoulders. May God give them wisdom and a knowledge of Himself.

Palin Power!!

Sat, 18 Oct 2008 04:35:35 GMT

Just had to include this one...such a cute expression. ;)

Danelle and I with Leah behind (thanks mom for the pic) and some country singer on the right- Aaron Tippen or something? Ha- not my realm of expertise.

Oh yeah. Take THAT Obama!

Check out the HAT!! The lady said she made it. Love the lips and glasses!

These were painted on "shirts". Yusssss!

Some of our crew.

Yes, I got interviewed by a news channel in Ft. Wayne. =D

This mom was crying as Sarah spoke of the special kind of love that handicapped and special needs children bring into the families they are born into and the world around them. Her beautiful daughter appeared to have cerebral palsy and was bound to a wheelchair.

Yes- we all got our most awesomest shirts signed by her!

And a parting shot:

Thank God for a woman who will speak the truth and is not afraid to do it! Many have likened her to Esther because God seems to have called her out for "just such a time as this". I was so impressed with her warm spirit as she went around greeting people and making every person feel important- just taking her time. This is someone we can trust to be the right hand to a man who will make a great leader of our country.

Now, this is OUR country. Let's get out there and FIGHT for it!!!

There are just a few weeks left until the

Garrett

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:05:01 GMT

hee hee.

I like this dude. =D

Yay for Birthdays!!

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:08:12 GMT

It's been just over a month since my 27th birthday...so I thought I'd share my day with my (few?) faithful readers.

I spent a most lovely 27th birthday in stunning Washington state surrounded by good friends and even a cute baby. ;) Enjoy the day through these pictures!

My lovely friend Rachel had breakfast ready and waiting for me when I came down that morning. It was SO.Much.Fun. to spend my birthday with her!

We met up with other Washington friends for lunch at Panera. WooHOO!

Poor Leo was the only boy in attendance...definitely a welcome addition in a big group of girls. =D

Love the little "floof-head".

Leo's darling mama, Ruth.

...and one more of the cutie.

I don't look 27 do I??

Hi, Esther. We all found an outfit to try on at Ann Taylor. Of course, none of us could afford them, but that was the fun of it. =P

All the lunch girls...minus Ruth.

The rest of the Roths came over for my birthday dinner (cooked by Rachel) that night. Too much fun...the boys greeted me with roses and peanut butter M&M's!!!!! WoOt! What a bunch of sweetie-pies. We decided to have fun with it...

VaNeSsA & Da' Boys:

I'm thankful for friends, peanut butter M&M's, mountains, my precious family, and for what the Lord will do in this 27th year of my life. I don't deserve God's goodness to me!

Sailing

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 02:05:07 GMT

This one's in honor of my brother Garrett who has always loved sailboats. =D

Thank you for your prayers for Elizabeth! Her white blood cell count was UP today and the doctor says it appears her body is accepting the bone marrow from her sister!!! What a HUGE praise!! Keep praying for her body to continue healing and working for her. Her hair is falling out now from the chemo, but she has such a great attitude, "I've always loved hats anyway!" =)