Wedding Photography

In October I was asked to take wedding photos for some friends of mine. I've never taken photos of such an important occasion. It made me a little nervous. What if I miss the good stuff? What if nothing turns out? After all, I'm no professional nor do I claim to be. Well, these friends had faith in me and I was happy to be a part of such a special moment. Here are just a few of my favorites from the day. Some are unedited, and others I had some fun with. Enjoy!

 

Thanks again, Doug & Christy for the chance to document your special day! It was more beautiful than a camera could capture!

daily bread

A day off, what should I do? It's raining and cold. I have a warm home and am fortunate to have running water and electricity. What can I do to share these things with others? I'll offer the futon to a friend in need of a roof. I'll put the electricity, running water and pantry items to good use by baking warm, filling breads to share with neighbors in my community. 

Sounds like a plan! Off to an afternoon of baking. I'll let ya know how it goes. . .

Know someone in Bryson City in need? Send me an email or a private message on Facebook and I'll do what I can to get fresh bread on their table.

 

 

Jesus said, I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.

Published Photos

My good friend, Frank Lee, is being featured in this months issue of Banjo Newsletter. On top of that being really cool for him, he asked me to take the picture. The funny thing? I thought this would be a good chance to use a REAL FILM camera again. Then I thought, no, I can do really cool things with my digital camera. So, Frank shows up and hands me his iPhone. Hahaha. So there you go, my first published pictures and they were taken with an iPhone. What is a photographer to do?

Frank also mentioned Jeff Delfield, a banjo maker from Bryson City. Very cool. Thanks, Frank for giving credit where it's due.

Don't forget to check out Frank and his endeavors with The Freight Hoppers who will be playing on October 20th in Bryson City at the Nantahala Brewing Company. They will be playing with fiddler, Hiedi Clare formerly of Reeltime Travelers.

down on the farm

Aj and I have been playing shows in my home state of Georgia the last several weekends. It has given me an opportunity to have expenses paid trips to see family. This past weekend we played in Rutledge and stayed in Madison, down on the farm.

The Ekstrom's welcomed us into their lives and home. We ate farm fresh meats and eggs, toured the farm, played music, shared stories and created art together. It was a wonderful visit. I am sure I took hundreds of photos. Here are some of my favorites for you to enjoy.

  

 Here's a little video of Aj making a friend.

 Before

After

Haha. Should have thrown out a warning for the vegetarians with those last photos. Obviously, the beef in the pan was from a previous slaughter. These new guys will be fattened up in a loving environment until February of next year. This is not a factory farm. These animals are treated and fed well. The kill is fast, they will not suffer.

 This is either Pork or Chop at the water barrel. They both look alike.

Feedin' time!

Lene with Fancy

 This little piggy is different than her two sty mates. The others are domestic, this gal is wild. She won't get as big as the ones bred for food, but I'm sure she'll taste just as good!

 Another shot of Aj's buddy. Some of these goats are for milk, some for meat. I can't remember who's who.

A beautiful ending to a day on the farm!

art from the heart

I didn't want to get out of bed today. August 19 is Mama's birthday and without her here I just didn't want the day to happen. But the world was still spinning and I had things to do.

Today was the opening day of an art exhibit at the Swain County Center for the Arts. I entered three paintings without really thinking about the date of the artist's reception. After church, I cried on Aj. "Why had I entered these paintings?", I asked him. I cried about how pretentious artists can be. Would anyone see through my sloppy colors and actually feel the emotion that put the paint there? I prayed, "If just one person could be reached by my painting, just one, then I would be happy." But could someone who doesn't know me and my story see the truth behind the hand scribbled lettering?

Today, I sold that painting. Even though the director of the exhibit didn't like me taking it off the wall, it went home with that one person today. It was someone I didn't know. Someone who didn't know my story. Someone who felt the heartache too. Thank you, Cathleen. Thank you not only for supporting the arts, but for allowing me to share my story with you. Now you are a part of my story and I yours. These are the connections that make life worth living.

"words from a tormented songwriter"
acrylic on canvas
sold

Portraits Not Porn

Wanted to share a few shots I took of my friend, Devin. A girlie afternoon out, we had coffee and took some pictures. She wanted some decent pictures of herself and didn't want to end up with some over-anxious, creepy dude behind the camera. Enjoy!

 These were taken on the front porch of my house. 
The green dress was given to me by my mother's best friend, Chelle. 
It was hand-tailored in Singapore in the 60's for one of Chelle's great-aunts.

This is a fun shot. It was taken in front of a mural 

painted by me and artists, Jeff Marley and Matt Heisler.

This picture wasn't the best quality, but it was one of my favorites. 

It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland or a princess in some hidden garden. 

Devin has good princess-in-a-hidden-garden hair. 

Bookie had to come see what we were up to.

Thanks to Devin for letting me make our fun afternoon a public event.

 I really enjoy photography, but even more I enjoy seeing my friends feel good about themselves!!

New Chalk Signage at Humanité

Today was beautiful day but I was feeling a little low. Being at work and needing to cheer myself up I decide to revamp our chalkboards. I found the idea for the open sign online. Everything is free-handed. Doing this gave me an awesome idea. I was thinking I could start doing chalkboard art for local businesses. I would come with the skills and lots of colored chalk. I have done this a time or two for Jeff and Pam Pulley at Mountain Perks Café here in Bryson City. Their menu boards are dry-erase, I think I bartered my handy work for a lunch or two.

 

the open signs

a wall of small chalk reminders

 www.shophumanite.com

So today's initial mood has been lightened and everyone seems to love the signs. Already had a ton of compliments! If you like the chalk stuff here's a past post of chalk-filled fun: Wisdom in Chalk.

If you know someone who needs their chalkboard menus transformed, tell 'em ya know somebody that knows somebody.

♥liz

We Might Be Playing Where?!?!

Lots of cool things have been happening for Aj and me. Our music has taken the front seat and it's been a crazy ride. Our most recent endeavor finds us in a contest with over 1,000 other bands for a chance to play at Bonnaroo this summer. We are currently sitting at number 42!! But we need your help to continue climbing that ladder!

How To Help:  Follow the link below to our page on the "Road to 'Roo" contest site. Give our song a listen and then cast your vote. Then, here's the most important part, go back daily to vote again. Voting is open now and you can vote everyday through April 16. It doesn't take long to do.

Click Here To Go Vote!

 

We appreciate everyone's love and support!

♥

"Ok, I voted, but what's a Bonnaroo?"

Bonnaroo is a four day music festival that happens every year in Manchester, TN bringing in 80,000+ people! This is a HUGE opportunity for us to be able to share our music and stories. Even if we don't win the chance to play, the contest alone has really helped get our names out there! Tell your friends, family and co-workers! Word of mouth is our best resource!

Looking Forward

The original songs are piling up. We still have friends that have never heard our music. So we accepted the help and motivation of our friend, and now manager, Kerby Worley. Now things are moving so fast. It's awesome to realize that people recognize our efforts. It's great to find like-minded people to help get us out there!!

This past Sunday, Kerby and Erin drove us to Asheville to meet with Pete and Shelley at Lakehouse Music. They are a not-for-profit recording studio. (Please check out the link to their website to read more about their mission!) The meeting went great! We all seemed to be on the same page. Aj and I will begin recording our first full length album together this Monday. We are excited. We are nervous. But boy are we ready!!
The recording will be made for free. There will be no expenses until time for mastering. Lakehouse has set up a place to donate to our project on their website. The books are open to the artists and your money will be used wisely. AJ and I plan on doing a little fundraising of our own as well. I will keep everyone up-to-date on that.

Click here to make a donation to our project at Lakehouse Music.

(scroll down to the bottom of the page. we are listed as Liz Nance)

Here are a couple of photos that Kerby snapped during our meeting at the studio on Sunday:

Thanks to everyone for the love and support. From our Grove Church family to our kin folk in other parts of the world to our awesome little Bryson community. . .

the kindness is appreciated. We love you!!

God wrote the song, it's our job to bring it into fruition for you.

4 Days of "No T-shirts & No Beanies"

     This post represents four work days of "no beanies and no t-shirts". Outside of pictures from my accidental modeling career for Humanité, I am a hap-hazard fashion queen. What does that mean, you ask? It means, I love clothing as a functional art form but tend to not follow the actual fashion dos and don'ts. But, I am always up for a challenge. So while Erin was away, I ran Humanité in style. Or did I? You make the call, I can take it.

day 1

     The trickiest part of day one was the realization that I couldn't just throw my hat on and go. I had to actually look at my hair in the mirror and make it look like I had. There's a TON of hair up there and those who know me are aware of how hard it is not to just shave it off. The outfit is simple. I bought the shirt at Humanité our first year open. I would like to squash the old fashion rule that you can't wear black and brown together. I mean, come on, they're both neutrals and leopards do it all the time.

day 2

     Bobby pins helped with the bang problem. Day two's clothing made me feel like I was 20 again. A white tank and necklace from Humanité paired with boot cut jeans and a brightly colored cardigan. This necklace is a lot of fun. Accessories really can transform an outfit.

day 3

     This looks a little more like me. The layered shirts that barely matched looked better than expected. The pants are hand me downs from someone who is a foot taller than me. Go figure, the day I tried the least is the day I racked up on compliments! People really do notice when someone is comfortable and confidant in their clothes and I owned this outfit! Gotta love the "keep on truckin' " pose!

day 4

      For the last day in my week of semi-fashion I chose to go with closet staples: a white dress shirt, j.crew jeans, converse, and a thin gold chain. Pretty basic outfit, but very clean. The only problem? Every time I where this shirt Aj tells me I look like I just finished my shift at a restaurant.

So there you go! Fashion really can be fun and it's supposed to be. Just remember, no matter how much we spend on our wardrobe, our clothes do not define who we are. 

♥

  "And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing."

Luke 12:22

 

I'm Down with O.P.P.

I want to share some fun pictures that Aj and I have taken of other people's pets. We have a lot of critter lovin' friends.  Most of these are rescued animals that found loving homes with awesome people!



♥



The owners of The Chocolate Shoppe in Bryson City, have adopted several rescued animals from our local animal shelter.  P.A.W.S is a non-euthanizing, non-profit organization. The white cat in the first set of pictures is the newest addition to the family. He loves sitting out on the porch with us while we chill in the mountain breeze.  Donna and Sherry are quite the animal lovers and have given a wonderful home to several cats and two of the sweetest dogs. All of their pets like to catch and eat flying bugs, which is very entertaining as well as beneficial.

 

 

Annie



Katie

George

♥

Frank Lee is another animal lover among our friends. He gives a safe and happy home to six cats. Here is the oldest, Sara, napping on the sunny side of the sofa.

♥

My sister's boxers.

I sometimes wish I had it made like these dogs do.

This past fall Aj and I joined Stephanie, Jason, and all three dogs for a three day hiking trip. They were great even though there were lots of people on the trail and some rough terrain.

♥

We have so many fun pictures of animals that this may have to be a two-parter.

♥

Swain County has such a high number of stray animals. There is no animal control in Bryson City. It is up to these animal lovers to find homes and loving caretakers. I want to close this post with a couple of websites with information about pet adoption.

P.A.W.S.  Placing Animals Within Society - Bryson City, NC
Catman2 No-kill Cat Shelter - Cashiers, NC
Fix Your Pet Spay/Neuter Clinic - Asheville, NC