Posts Tagged ‘Here’s a Thought’

Here’s A Thought :: Behind-the-Scenes

Posted June 15th, 2012 in Blog, Here's a Thought | 1 Comment

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of once again pairing up with one of my very favorite photographers – Paul Johnson – to style and shoot some very stylish golf tech polos for our client Wicker & Dune.

It was going really well – the tunes were blaring, the creative ideas were flowing, the fans were blowing, the images were gorgeous and all was wonderful until …

First, a little background:

Each afternoon, I am responsible for picking up my youngest from her daycare center no later than 5:15pm. If I am later than 5:15pm, the staff – are normally all wonderful, loving, warm people – turn ugly. If you arrive at 5:30, you may find your child wandering alone in the parking lot with a note stapled to their shirt. Well, not really. But, I’ve been threatened to the brink of it.

Back to my story. All was going swimmingly. We were getting so many great shots – swapping shirts in and out, laying the out perfectly, trying different backgrounds, color combinations and props, etc. – when suddenly, I looked at the time on my phone when I went to check for messages. {Insert string of profanity here}. The time was 4:58pm and I was a good hour away from reaching the daycare centers doorstep.

Later that evening, when I arrived home, my usually mild mannered, sweet mother-in-law had a few words for me. Mainly, she wanted to know if I owned a watch. Okay, I deserved that. Guilty. But how do I explain to my family and friends what “getting caught up in the creative process” is like? The room was dark, the lights were bright only on the set – ideas were being fired off – the energy is amazing as the images get better and better … and, well, you lose your sense of time and space. And I love that feeling.

Here are a few outtakes from our shoot:

Paul setting up just the camera for the overhead first shots round of 18 shirts. It takes a lot longer than one would think to get each shirt perfectly positioned with folds and creases exactly where we want them.

The beautiful color range in Wicker & Dunes’ first collection all steamed and ready to be photographed.

As Paul shoots, I am at the monitor editing, changing, directing each shot until perfect. Sometimes we drop images directly into the design file to make sure we have exactly what we need.

It was a bonus having Tiffany – one of Paul’s wardrobe stylists – on set to help out. We had an especially long shot list of images we needed in one day – and with Tiffany’s help, we got it done.

Paul is wonderful to work with – he is always pleasant, accommodating and funny. And when you met him, let him tell you about how he used to play bass in a band with Moby (true story) and pretend to act surprised (little joke).

The end result of a long day’s work?

Next shoot for Wicker & Dune, we are hitting the links.

I think I better get a babysitter for that one …

~Amy

Here’s A Thought :: I Need Your Help

Posted June 13th, 2012 in Inspiration | 1 Comment

This Father’s Day, I am running in the 32nd Annual Branford Road Race in honor of two very special Dad’s. One is my own, who was my best friend, mentor and idol who I lost two short years ago to Lewy Body Dementia – but on a promise to be strong, got me started running and I haven’t stopped since..

The other, one of my best friends – Jennifer Getzinger’s – brother, Scott Getzinger, who was tragically killed on the Merritt Parkway while driving home on Good Friday by another driver.

As we still struggle to make sense of it, I’m asking you for your help. Scott and his wife Susan have three very beautiful, still very young children ages 3, 7 and 11. (I was 11 when I lost my mom to breast cancer, which is another reason I feel so motivated to help these children). I’m hoping that you will feel as I do and that helping them is the right thing to do. It is something I feel that I must do.

There is an educational trust fund set up for these bright, loving kids and I am running on Father’s Day to help raise awareness and donations towards this fund to make sure they have every opportunity in life. I need your help to show them that there is love in this world – even from strangers.

This is the best father’s day gift I can think of – to help a fallen man’s children. This is what I would want if something were to ever happen to me. I would wish for my friends to look after my children – wouldn’t you?

To make a donation, first please be sure to note in the ‘messages’ section of your check “Amy’s Run” so that Scott’s family knows how we are all connected:

Checks of any amount can be made payable to: Donald Neville, Trustee of Trust FBO The Children Of Scott Getzinger.

And then mailed to:
Donald Neville
6004 River Downs Cove
Austin, TX 78746

I think if you told your Dad this year in lieu of a necktie or grill tool, I donated your gift money to three young children who tragically just lost their Dad, your own Dad wouldn’t be too upset. In fact, I know my own Dad would have been damn proud. I’m just trying to set things a little bit right. Thanks for helping.

Peace, light and love – and with all my gratitude,

~Amy

Here’s A Thought :: Memorial Day

Posted May 28th, 2012 in Here's a Thought | No Comments

We who are left how shall we look again
Happily on the sun or feel the rain
Without remembering how they who went
Ungrudgingly and spent
Their lives for us loved, too, the sun and rain?
~Wilfred Wilson Gibson

{Image via this beautiful site filled with images of  military families, Heroes without Capes}.

Here’s A Thought :: What RAGNAR Taught Me

Posted May 21st, 2012 in Here's a Thought | 12 Comments

RAGNAR Relay. Plymouth Massachusetts to Province Town. Two days. Two vans. 11 runners. 189 miles. I’ve been training for this all winter. The day arrived. The race began. I was runner #6 in Van 1. Off we go.

The first leg I had to run was labeled “Easy” and was only 3.5 miles. I wasn’t worried. What I didn’t know was that puppy was straight up. No breaks. Completely, flat out, straight-out vertical gaining 271 feet in 3.5 miles. That was “Easy”? I ran it the best I could, but I worked hard. Really hard.

My next run was 7 miles and labeled “Hard”. I began to panic. If that last one was supposed to be “easy”, what was “hard” going to be like? I texted my husband. I called my step-mom. I began to doubt myself. What was I doing here? With all these … runners? I sought sympathy from my teammates. Basically, I panicked.

When it inevitably came time for me to run again – at 11pm that same night – the stars were shining, the air had cooled, the streets were quiet and peaceful, and I ran my race. Slow and steady. A calm came over me. I trained for this. I’ve been running all along, haven’t I? I AM a runner. I can do this. I will do this. As each mile quickly passed, I became more confident and faster, faster. Steadily faster. It was the best run I’ve had in recent memory. I was at peace with myself. I was honestly enjoying it. I wasn’t trying to win. I was trying to finish … on my terms. Confidently and strong.

As I ran up a hill in my third mile, I spotted my teammates and a van filled with other friends from another team waiting for me on the other side. They cheered. They yelled. They waved flags. They beeped their horns. They screamed “Looking good, Amy! Looking strong!”. They cowbelled me. And then cowbelled me some more. I was shouting back “Wa-Hoo! Feeling great!”. Here was the extra boost I needed. That’s what a great team can do. They can remind you of what you already know – that you can do it. And I had the best team. You are not alone when you have a great team. I kept running with a smile plastered on my face the whole way. I looked at the night sky. I toke a mental snapshot. I talked to my Dad in my head. I savored every moment. I remembered every mile.

Much later, with a mere mile left to go, I passed a runner who I recognized as having passed me earlier. She was winded and completely stopped on the road. I ran past her, stopped, turned and ran back towards her. I gave her my unused water bottle. I gave her the “Blok” energy gummy in my pocket. I gave her an encouraging smile and hand on her hunched over back. I told her I expected her to pass me again. She looked up and smiled. Then, she started moving. I ran on feeling even lighter. And faster. I felt like a runner.

I turned the last corner feeling great. My heart was soaring with adrenaline from the excitement as I flew towards Eric to hand off my baton. My legs were pumping but I didn’t even feel them working. In a flash, Eric was off. I was done, for now. I stopped. I caught my breath. I looked around at all the runners. I assessed the situation. I did it. I did it without stopping. I did it without doubting. I did it to the best of my ability. I was proud of myself. So damn proud of myself. How often do we get to say that? Not often enough. Not nearly enough. But that night I said it. I said it out loud.

I hugged my team. They congratulated me. I thanked them for cowbelling me. They high-fived me. I had conquered my fears. I starred my self doubt in the face and stuck out my tongue. And I rejoiced in finding my “people” – my running “people” – who are just as crazy as I am and just as motivated. I was so filled with joy, it was like an electric current tingling through my tired but happy body.

What were we doing in this crazy relay in the middle of the night somewhere on a dark road on the Cape running with headlamps on and crowds of cheering vans following you? I’ll tell you exactly what we were doing.

We were making new friends. We were pushing ourselves and each other beyond the limits we believed we had. We were standing a little taller. We were proving to ourselves that we are stronger and more capable than even we thought. And, as a team, stronger even still. It was hard, exhausting, challenging, uncomfortable and at times, scary. But it was also life-affirming, bonding, motivational, exhilarating and one of the best experiences of my life.

I can’t wait until next year.

Best team ever. My Sole Shoe Network Cape Cod 2012 teammates. Front row kneeling from right to left: me, Erik, Kelly. Second row from right to left: Nicole, Kristen, Eric, Glenn, Wendi, Carolyn. Back row: Matt. We are minus our fearless leader, Heather, who was bravely running leg #32. We’re tired, un-showered, hungry, sore and loving it. You can’t fake those smiles.

Here’s A Thought :: Mom Knows Best

Posted May 7th, 2012 in Here's a Thought | No Comments

In honor of Mother’s Day this week, I thought I’d share some of the best advice my Mom ever gave me. It was my Mom who taught me “If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no.”

This expression has created more opportunities for me than I can recount for as long as I can remember. It just takes a few moments of courage, which for a painfully shy little girl who hid behind her Mom’s legs, was quite an undertaking – at first. But as time marched on and I – along with my courage – grew up, it became easier and easier each time I asked. So, thank you Mom!

~Amy

Image :: Meow Magazine