Rebekah Kay Photography

75 in 750 | #27 See U2 in concert

This was checked off the list back in September 2009! I love U2 (who doesn't?!)

Let me preface this with a little story. My friend Jamila always came across amazing concert tickets! Madonna, U2, Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, apparently she is a concert fanatic (I'm just realizing this!) Back in 2005 I was on the phone with her when she found out she got TWO FREE tickets to see U2. I remember it like it was yesterday. There I was, sitting at a desk at CDIA in Waltham, working on my 100 Faces Project that was due that week and she excitedly tells me "we're going to see U2 tonight!". So I say, "Well no, Jamie, I'm not going, I have a project due that I need to work on." The words just didn't sound right coming out of my mouth! In my 16 years as a student I never turned anything down because of school work... until I was in photography school, which I guess means I actually was invested in this path that I was on. Needless to say, I didn't go and always regretted it (but was secretly proud of myself for doing the "right" thing).

Then last year, middle of a crazy wedding season, my friend Maureen offers my hubby and I tickets to go with a group of friends. We went. It was amazing. Worth the wait. You know the best part... we found out the next day that I was pregnant! We had our hopeful suspicions and knew I could take a test the next day so we whispered about it a lot during the concert. I still tear up thinking about it because what a great soundtrack to hopeful thoughts. So here we are Stuck In A Moment...

75 in 750 | #3 Shoot a Butcher Family Portrait

This is another item that has been checked off the list for quite some time. Every year at Christmas I take a big family picture of all of us that my mom can use for her holiday card. Its usually quite a scene with complainers, tripods, kids, trying to coordinate outfits without matching etc. I guess its a good way for me to see what it's like for my clients! My husband is usually the worst complainer of them all. He wants it to be done in one shot, less than 5 minutes, which never happens. I tell him once a month that he married the wrong girl if he never wants his picture taken! But this year was different because we finally had a "prop" has Kyle said. My older brother has his son and my younger brother has his dog (practically their child) and we had nothing! NOW we have the little guy and I think he really completes the picture don't you!?

 

75 in 750 | #57 Teach mom how to use my cameras

For those of you following my 75 in 750 I have to admit I was giving myself an extra three months because of my maternity leave to finish it up.... ummmm not even close!! I did complete a bunch off the list that I haven't posted about so over the next month or so I'll be posting about the ones I did complete during the 750 days but didn't get to write about.

#57 I can say was completed almost two years ago when my mom started assisting me on every wedding. This year she only photographed two with me because she is too good of a Nana to pass up while I'm gone all day and the hubby is working. The two she photographed with me this year made me miss her so much! Nobody will ever be able to replace her because she is so great, knows the flow of the day, calms anyone/everyone and most importantly knows when to get THE SHOT. Like this one of Ashley and Drew before their grand entrance! Not only are their expressions awesome, but the composition of this photograph is what makes it perfect. If it was only of their faces it would be a good picture, but showing the reception room and them peeking in lets you almost feel their excitement. PERFECTION SDB! 

75 in 750 | #30: Have a baby

I've been MIA for the past few weeks and this time I have an excellent reason! My perfect baby boy was born on May 18th and I've been busy staring at him for hours on end since then. I can't believe how fast the pregnancy went... or that he's already almost two weeks old! Now I know what parents mean when they say things like "before you know it he'll be 30" and I wish I could freeze his perfection and keep him my amazing little newborn forever! But with each week I'll love watching him grow into the fantastic person I know he'll be. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world and I am thankful every minute for my baby, husband and new little family. 

 photo courtesy of Jamila Marie

75 in 750 | #10 Blog every day for a month

Yay me! 28 blog posts in the 28 days of February. Yes I picked the shortest month of the year, but whatever, I did it! It was not easy, especially on the weekends but it was actually fun to do and became a habit to get it done every night before bed. Sometimes I had to search my brain for a post, especially because February is the slowest time of the year so it's not like I had a bunch of new shoots to show you. I'm hoping to still keep up the blogging as much as possible so no worries that I'll fall off the face of the earth again. 

So to my biggest blog followers, Mom, Laurie, Matt (Randy), Kelly, Noelle, Courtney, Amanda, Caitie and all of you who mentioned once, twice, ten times that I needed to update my blog in December/January, I hope you enjoyed it!! I love you fans! 

Here is a picture of everyone cheering for me...

 

75 in 750 | #26 Cook a new recipe once a month for 6 months

Yummy! This was a fun one! Now, I never said I was going to be a gourmet chef or anything but I thought I'd mix it up a little bit. I'm TOTALLY an all american girl when it comes to eating; a cheeseburger and fries is the way to my heart... and my husbands! He actually picked most of these recipes and I was his sous chef. Here are our adventurous attempts from February-July 2009:

Spinach and Artichoke Calzones -February

Good, but a calzone shouldn't be made at home we discovered. They are SO much better from a pizza oven.

Noni's Lasagna- March

No recipe for this one (family secret!) but basically a lot of cheese, a lot of sauce and a lot of work! It's delicious, but I'll take Noni's homemade any day. The cooking lesson with her was the best party! 

Cheryl's Pot Roast - April

Another family recipe from my husband's side. I made this with his mom's recipe and it was surprisingly delicious! She's not an easy one to compete with in the kitchen that's for sure. 

2 to 3lb Bottom Round Roast-

Onion

1 can Hunts Petite diced tomatoes

1 Knorr Beef Boullion Cube

Small Red Potatoes - chopped into eighths
carrots, peeled and chopped
brown meat in olive oil on all sides on pot on the stove.  sprinkle with salt and pepper.  While browning slice an onion and put in pot with the roast while browning.
After meat has been browned on all sides, put it in the crock pot along with the onion.  Add water to the pan you just browned it in - enough to cover the bottom.  Add this water to the crock pot over the meat.
Next pour the tomatoes over the meat, add 3/4 can of water to the crock pot, then add boullion cube. Add your potatoes and carrots.  Stir all together.
Cook on high temp in crock pot for 7 or 8 hours.
Sometimes I put slivers of garlic in the meat before browning.

You won't be single for long vodka cream pasta -May

I LOVE this!! I even taught my parents how to make it a couple weeks ago and they loved it too. 

Chicken Enchiladas -June

Enchiladas are amazing!! Especially when a restaurant makes them for you...

Turkey Burgers -July

We played around with this recipe a little bit to suit our taste and it's still one of our favorites!! 

So, I know that I should have taken a picture of each of these, but I honestly didn't think of it until I started writing this post. I searched my computer for pictures of me eating and I came up with nothing! So here is a picture of the worst thing I've ever eaten, Wrightsville Beach Smores. My uncle made these for us last summer and SWEARS this is what southerners call Smores, Graham crackers, marshmallow and CHEDDAR CHEESE! I convinced him to make half the real way, but I did try his specialty.

 

75 in 750 | #60 Have fresh flowers in the house 6 months straight

What's better than beautiful flowers to  make you smile everyday!? Last spring and summer I tried to make sure to have some flowers in the house once a month to brighten up my days. Sometimes I bought them and even better, sometimes someone bought them for me. I think I'll start it up again this spring to get me in the mood for summer! Living in New England in the winter can be tough, but it makes spring and summer SO much better. I appreciate every single day of sunshine and color. 

The orchid was a birthday gift from my mom in April 2009 and it has bloomed 6 times since then, and is about to bloom again! I don't have any type of green thumb or anything so I have no clue how it is alive and well, but I LOVE it! 

p.s. please excuse the horrible camera phone photography! 

75 in 750 | #45: Read 6 books in 3 months

Another one bites the dust! Over the past few months I've been a reading maniac. I find its the only way to shut down my brain after a crazy day and it also helped me check another item off my 75 in 750 list! I don't claim to be some intellectual scholastic reader, but I am a reader. Give me a juicy story and I'm gone for hours! 

1. The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder by Rebecca Wells

The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells is one of my all time favorite books so I was hoping this one would be just as captivating, I was wrong. It was an okay story and easy read, but definitely nothing too exciting. 

2. A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

This book was sitting on my mother's night stand so I stole it (this is my method for selecting most of my books!). I read it cover to cover in one day! The beginning was a little hard to get into but after a couple chapters I was hooked and ended up loving the story! I'm a big fan of period pieces; any time but now I want to be transported to. 

3. South of Broad by Pay Conroy

Another book I loved! There are so many character's lives tied in together and it all adds up to a great story! I never knew where it was going, which is the way I like it. My mom bought the book, then I read it and right now my dad is reading it so it's always fun to get their points of view! (yes, I spend too much time with my parents, they're awesome!) 

4. American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld 

Another theft from my mom! I thought the first couple of chapters that this book was based on Jackie Kennedy's life and then realized it was Laura Bush, so that confused me a little but once I was over that I enjoyed it. Gives some good insight of what it might have been like to be married to George W! 

5. Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

My awesome sister-in-law Laurie gave me this book for Christmas and I thought it was going to be your typical women's friendship book (that I love) but it was so much more! I have NEVER been so emotionally affected by a book, but that's all I'll say b/c I don't want to give anything away. Definitely a great book!

 6. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough 

This is one of my mom's favorites (can you tell where I get my love for reading from!?) It has all the things I love, period piece, Australia, family drama, love, loss and generations of stories. I might even have to watch the 1983 mini-series, even though I hate the look of 80's TV! 

6 books in 3 months, done! To be honest I probably read at least 5 books every 3 months so this wasn't too hard to accomplish. In 2008 I read the entire Twilight series in one month! That is 2379 pages in 30 days; I might have had a slight addiction!  In the fall I don't get to read much though so once holidays/weddings are over I'm back to the books! I'm looking for my next so please recommend your favorite! 

75 in 750 | #43 Shoot 8 family portraits in one month

I'm back!!! I know I didn't actually mention I'd be gone, but after holiday/wedding insanity January is the time for me to totally chill out and recharge. Now I'm ready to get back in the swing of things and I'm starting with a blog post I should have done in October. My goal was to shoot 8 portraits in one month and I shot 7 in 2008, so close!! This October I actually shot 9 (plus 2 weddings and an engagement shoot) and looking back I don't know how I fit it all in! It is the perfect time of year for family portraits because the weather is usually beautiful, pictures are ready in time for holiday cards/gifts and if we're lucky there is some awesome foliage. 

Donovan Family 10.12.09

 Kellogg Family 10.12.09

 Armit Family 10.12.09

Mello Family10.18.09 

 

Hickey Family 10.18.09

  

Rzpecka Family 10.19.09

 Dudley Family 10.20.09
 Deneen Family 10.30.09
 Condon Family 10.30.09

 

75 in 750 | #70 Have a preferred vendors list vendors lists

This is something I've been wanting to do for months! Every time that I have a client meeting I'm asked for band/dj/videographer recommendations and of course I don't have it all on the top of my head. Now with my prospective client folders I've added this document. It's such a useful tool to the planning bride. I've worked with all of these people and highly recommend them. Just tell them Rebekah Kay sent you :) 

 Florist:                                                                                               

            ILEX /Andrew                                    617 422 0300                        www.ilexflowers.com

            Living Accents/Roxanne                  617-504-3010           

            Studio 539 Flowers/Christina           401.454.4400                        www.539flowers.com

 Band:                                                           

Legit                                              617.823.2187                        www.legitband.com

Horns in the House                        508.543.3032                        www.hornsinthehouse.net

DJ                                   

C-Zone/Greg Capozzi                    617.320.0723                        www.czonemusic.com

Underground Sound                        781.799.6458                         www.undergroundsounddjs.com

Next Level Entertainment/Lee           781.983.5682                        www.nextlevelboston.com

Videographer:                                                                                   

            “I Do” Wed Video/Tim                           603.438.9845                        www.idowedvideos.com

            Mong Wedding Video                        508.890.6600                        www.mongweddingvideo.com

Makeup Artist:

            Kristian Jeffrey                                        781.454.8877

Hair Stylist:

            Michael Thomas Salon                        Jeffrey James                                603.622.1717

            La Tete Salon                                    Steven Pierce                             617.922.5530

Justice of the Peace:

            Roy Richardson                                 508.771.0650

            Thomas A. Welch                               781.335.1043