Follow Friday - Disney Tourist Blog

For those of you that so faithfully follow my blogs (come on, you know you do), you may have discovered a few things about me:
1. I love my Bug.
2. I love all things Disney.
3. I love photography.

For my first Follow Friday, I reference my Bug while introducing you to his mama.  For my second, we're going to look at the next two items on the above list:  Disney and photography.

I made my first trip to Walt Disney World in 1979.  I don't remember the trip (I was a year old), but my family says I've been obsessed and in love ever since.  Even after moving away from Florida, my family continued to make yearly visits to WDW until 1999-2000.  There was a small gap between trips, as I fully entered adulthood, and was responsible for paying for my own trips, but by the mid-2000s, my yearly trips were back on (or, as in the case of 2011, thrice-yearly visits).

I've been taking photos since I was a child, as well.  I remember, at an early age, getting ahold of my dad's old 110 camera to take pictures while on vacation.  By the time I was a teenager, I had a fancy 35mm.  It was just a point-and-shoot, but at $235, it was fancy for me.  Packed away in boxes, I have 1000s of images from various trips and events in my life.
In March of 2003, I was out of work, and stumbled into a job working in a private photo lab.  That temporary position filling photo orders turned into an extended job printing orders, which turned into photography lessons, which turned into time behind the camera at real photo shoots, which turned into several shoots of my own, which turned into money to start buying my own professional photography equipment.  I now do freelance work for a local newspaper, I still shoot for the company that taught me all I know, and I've started my own photography business.

One thing I've always wanted to do more of is take pictures at amusement parks, specifically Disney parks.  I'm usually so enthralled in the aspect of just BEING there that I forget about the large, overly-packed camera bag on my back (I tend to bring everything.  Including the kitchen sink.  Actually, two of them).  Then I get back to the house, and realize that I've got 30 photos to cover 10-12 hours spent at the park.  A few months ago, I tried spending a day at the Magic Kingdom with nothing but my point-and-shoot.  I definitely had more photos at the end of the day, but none of them were what I really wanted.

What to do.....?

Then, it happened.
In the course of browsing some of the many (and I do mean MANY) Disney websites, podcasts and blogs that I frequent, I stumbled across one I'd never seen before.  A blog on Disney....and photography!

Tom Bricker is an amazing photographer who puts his talent strictly into the art of capturing moments at Disney theme parks (and all that go with them).  He's also very good at explaining why he took that shot, how he took it, and whether it turned out the way he wanted.  He gives tips, hints, advice and warnings with both knowledge and humor.  He has, in the short space of about 2 weeks, become my photography hero.

Please check Tom out at Disney Tourist Blog.  If all you do is look at the photos, you will have given yourself a gift.

Follow Friday - Thriftstorehoppin

A popular occurrence on Twitter is what we call Follow Friday.  Or #follow #friday.  Or #ff.  It's a specific day when Tweeters suggest to the Twitter world some profiles they believe we should follow.  It really is neat, especially when you're new to Twitter, and several people give you a #ff shout out.  It can get you followers.  It can give you people to follow.
I want to start doing my own version of the #ff right here on this blog.

If you follow any of my blogs, you've probably discovered that I am completely in love with a little boy named Bug.  Well, Bug actually has a family, even though they don't get talked about as much - a little brother named Peanut, a mom (Bug's mama), a dad (Bug's daddy), and a dog named Tessa (or, in early Bug-speak, "good girl").  I truly love the entire family.  Bug's daddy is my cousin.  We've known each of each other since he was a small child, but have only really known each other since early 2003.  We quickly became very close friends, and for several years, I spent as much time with him and his family as I did with my own (we only live an hour or so apart).  In 2005, he rocked my world by expressing interest in - gasp! - a girl.

I know.  Rude.

I tried really hard not to like her (ok, I really didn't try that hard).  But I could see that she was around for the duration, so I slowly...slowly......slowly.....got to know her.  They got married the next year.  For the first year(ish), I visited other cousins in the area, but never specifically visit the newly married couple.  In fact, I never saw their first apartment.  I admit, I was having trouble adjusting to the new dynamic in my relationship with them.  And then, one day, a Bug was born.  And my cousins became Bug's mama and Bug's daddy.

I met Bug when he was just 9 days old, and knew my life would never be the same.  I visited again several months later, and again a few months after that.  And then, suddenly, I was seeing them every month or so.  As I fell more in love with my boy, I discovered that I'd never really gotten to know Bug's mama.  What a waste of the past 2+ years!!

As the next 2 years went by, I began spending as much (or more) time with Bug and Bug's mama than I did with Bug's daddy (not intentionally, but we no longer based my visits strictly on his work schedule).  And Bug's mama became one of my best friends, and probably the one person that I am the closest to in this world (outside of my own mama).

The relationship was cemented that winter day when Peanut came into the world. 

In the 14 months that Peanut has been on this earth, I have visited them 13 times.  Bug now knows (and calls me by) my name.  On my last visit, just two short weeks ago, Peanut was trying to say my name.  When I visit, the boys know that we WILL watch Disney movies.  We WILL wrestle and tickle.  We WILL go out to eat somewhere.  Cameras WILL come out, and pictures of anything and everything will be taken.  And maybe the best part of all (well, maybe not better than the Disney movies, but close enough), thrift stores WILL be visited.

I come from a thrifty family.  The women in my family LOVE shopping at thrift stores.  I have never liked them.  I don't know why, b/c someone one else can shop at a thrift store for me, and I'm fine with it.  But I just can't shop there myself.  However, in friendship, I tag along when visitiing Bug and his family.  And over the weeks and months, I've discovered that I really like thrift stores.

In the past few visits, I've gotten several books (for pennies), unopened wallpaper border (enough rolls to decorate a bathroom, once I get my new house - for a few quarters), an argyle sweater vest ($3 - AND it's argyle!), and along with my own finds, I've helped in finding toys and argyle sweater vests for Bug and Peanut.

FYI, I love argyle sweater vests almost as much as I love Bug and Peanut.

And now, I'm sure you're asking, "She started out talking about Follow Friday, and went off on a tangent about the kid - he's cute, and all, but what does he have to do with Follow Friday?"  Well, you see, as I've just explained, Bug's mama is the one that introduced me - REALLY introduced me - to thrift stores.  She finds all kinds of treasures when she shops, and she comes up with all these great ideas just by looking at something on one of the store shelves.

And best of all, she has now started blogging about her thrift store adventures.
So, do yourself a favor.  Check out Thrift Store Hoppin', and tell her I said, "Hi, Bug!"  She'll laugh, and know exactly who sent you.

Day 9 – What are your hobbies?

I can see Alicia reading this, and just shaking her head, saying, "That girl has more hobbies....."

I blog, obviously.  I've been writing - songs, poems, short stories, books - since I was about 12.  It took me awhile to finally break into blogging, but now that I've done it, I'm hooked.
I am a certified scuba diver.  I hike, run, bike, swim.  I collect Monopoly games.  I sing.  I play trumpet, French horn, and guitar (a little piano, as well).  Photography is both a hobby and a vocation.  I travel every chance I get.  I read, voraciously.  I analyze movies and television shows the way English teachers analyze books (and then I blog about them).  I go to sporting events - LOTS of sporting events.  I'm active on numerous social networks.

OK, Ali, what have I forgotten????