Origami Surprise

I have found so many interesting and inspiring people through my giveaway connections. One in particular had the most creative idea for sharing my work. Check out the genius:

Minimum Wage, I love imagining my website address hidden in a beautiful box in the coffee shop's dark secret corner. I hope I get an email from one of the finders.

Everyone check out her amazing blog minimumwageart.blogspot.com for all sorts of artistic treats. The bio on her blog reads, "scrap wood art sold for minimum wage - because even folks with dirt under their nails deserve art."

I couldn't agree more.

I hope everyone can find a secret little box of their own this weekend. xo.

The Seattle Giveaway Winner Is...

Caroline Duke!!!!! Check out her amazing blog at www.iamagreedygirl.com for all sorts of things you will want to spend money on.

Thanks again to everyone that participated in this giveaway. It helped generate a lot of new readers to my sites which is exactly what I hoped would happen.

I had so much fun doing this that I know there will be more giveaways to come. You readers just deserve it.

Congratulations again to Caroline. I guess it sometimes pays to be "greedy". Caroline email me and we will hash out the details. xo.

Kate + Jake

Happy marriage to my sister Kate and my dashing new brother, Jake.

I am in love with them.

I am in love her laugh.

Editing through these images, I was so happy for them it was hard for tears not to well up every time I saw her huge open mouth.

See that really tall dad in the family photo? That tall Dad was missing at my wedding. See our other sister? Nope you don't. She was missing at this one. Can't we go back about 15yrs to when we were all living together and avoiding dishes under the counter? Please?

(Remember tonight at midnight is the cut off to enter the Seattle giveaway. I will be announcing the winner tomorrow morning. I'm secretly hoping everyone wins.)

Neon

Giveaway madness! I had no idea when I posted about the Seattle gift, the response it would have. Seattle is amazing, why would I question that everyone would think the same? Also since I have never tried to give anything away on the blog before I just didn't know what to expect....I have been overwhelmed with the support. The bribe worked!! My business is ALL word of mouth. I guess the only "advertising" I have besides word of mouth is this blog. That being said, you, reading this, are the reason I am successful at all. I know that. This has just reminded me.

I have been in part agony reading all of your comments because you are all so deserving! I suggested to Grant that we sell the cars and all the clothes and the trampoline and just send hundreds of people to Seattle. You have no idea how bad I wish I had the resources to actually make that happen. Luckily I won't make the desicion, a random number picker thingy can do the hard stuff. But to all you babymooners, honeymooners, lovers of great fish and tall trees, friends and first timers, people who just want/need a vacation, those who want to win so they can give it to SOMEONE ELSE...someone else who they miss, love and want to treat...to all of you, I hear you and love you for giving me so many heartfelt reasons for wanting to jet to the Northwest. Thank you for making my weekend a truly great one....and I hope to return the favor on Wednesday for one lovely person.

Enough talk! More action!

When I was in Las Vegas last week I took a visit to the Neon Graveyard. If you like COLOR, broken down everything, typography, design and the history of it all, I highly recommend going. This would make and excellent location for a commercial shoot. Anthropologie magazine maybe? Anthro, I'm not busy if you're not...

(wouldn't these make great screen savers?)

Seattle Vacation Giveaway

I know this may be coming on a little strong for my first giveaway, but honestly I wanted to give something I would want to have...and there is nothing I crave more than little side trips to beautiful places with amazing food. For that reason I decided I want to give away a weekend vacation to Seattle, Washington.

The giveaway winner will receive:

$400 to be used towards flights/rental car

A $300 gift card for one of the following hotels:

Hotel 1000

Ace Hotel

Inn @ Harbor Steps

(all great locations and close to Pikes Place and the water)

$75 gift certificate to Elliots Oyster House (our favorite waterfront restaurant..we dream of alder plank salmon)

The total giveaway value is almost $800.

Here is how you enter: Obviously I am doing this to drive the new and the old to the blog and shiny new website. To be eligible to win you must spread the word of this giveaway and/or my blog or website (www.rachelthurston.com) and then leave a comment on this post telling me how you shared. You can spread the word through blogs, twitter, facebook or any other creative means you may have.

Here's another hitch, there has to be at least 100 comments for the giveaway to be valid. So spread the word!

Posts can be made until Wednesday, February 3rd at Midnight PST.

I honestly love Seattle. There are trees everywhere and the air is fresh and the food is ...well to die for.  Seattle reminds me so much of the motherland, Alaska. If you've been you understand my love and if you haven't been, it's time.

I have a million other suggestions for what to do, eat and see. So when the winner, wins, I will email you info and suggestions. I only ask one thing of my precious Seattle giveaway winner, you must take photographs of your stay and let me share them on the blog.

This is so exciting. Good luck!

(ps. immediate family not eligible. Sorry dudes. It would just be weird if my sister won.)

rachelthurston.com

I feel like I have been crying wolf forever talking about this supposed new site....now it's really done! Believe me when I say this was a labor of love. SO much work and SO much appreciation to my amazing designer and programmer for all of their skill and patience. The biggest thanks of all goes to Grant. He was my sounding board and my opinion when I couldn't bear to have anymore.

I love it. I hope you do too.

www.rachelthurston.com

(Check back tomorrow for my first giveaway! It's going to blow your minds. I wish I could enter it myself.)

Weekend Rain

For those of you who may not catch my tweets, I wanted to post this rainy shot I got on my iphone. We were driving to Las Vegas Wednesday morning and the rain was all around. It was nice to wake up to sunshine this morning.

(I'm waiting on the word from others before I can have the website go live. You know how it takes a village to raise a photographer? I have a pretty fantastic village helping to keep me a float. Word on the street is Wednesday LAUNCH! You're going to love it. I hope.)

Frazzled

(neighbor Phoebe jumping and static-ing on our tramp)
Her outsides represent how my insides kind of feel right now.

OK, I might look a little bit like that too.

Las Vegas, You Need Me.

I am trying to find a reason to go with Grant to Vegas next week while he works....Anyone out there in the Vegas area in need of a photographer? I am up for commercial, portrait or "you name it" photoshoots.

Possible dates Thursday through Saturday of this coming week.

Shoot me an email if you want to schedule something at rachel@rachelthurston.com

Picture Perfect

I shot some corporate photos for a Utah law firm on Monday. It was interesting being that I don't shoot this sort of stuff on a regular basis. I tried to put my own spin on things...and ended up with some fun shots. I love the two above. The painting on "tilt" really made my day. It's the "tilt" that makes all of us feel a little more normal.. (or is it just me that always feels slightly askew?)

Published in Real Simple Weddings

Real Simple Weddings 2010 featured Lisa and Rodney's August wedding. I was thrilled to be contacted by them and chosen to be in this amazing publication. One of the best parts is the issue is out for an entire year! Thank you Real Simple for featuring my work and thank you to Lisa and Rodney for inviting me to be a part of their wedding celebration.

(Amazing details are huge reason images get published and I owe thanks to Lisa and her wedding crew for the genius behind those details, Aubrey Messick- Flowers and Shauna Lewis- Planner.)

Sweet Baby Gavin

Read what Amorology has to say here.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Today I cried for Natalie, for Richie, for Gavin, for his brothers, for anyone who has lost a child or has come close to losing a child....or for anyone who has ever.."lost" period. For the time spent waiting. Waiting till we can all be with the ones we want to be with.

Sweet baby Gavin. How long will the wait be?

This Week

I'm a little off my usual Monday through Friday blogging...but with good reason.

I am minutes, seconds..OK days, from finishing my new website. I can't wait to share it with you!! It is pretty and shiny and new. I think you'll love it as much as me. I have a team working with me on it and they are waiting on me to send over the finalized images. Past clients, I have been staring at your beautiful faces for the last 2 weeks and I am ready to not look at them again for awhile.(don't be offended...it's not you, it's the computer and files and resizing and choosing and editing down!!!! pure exhaustion..but worth it). Hopefully in a few days I can reveal the end product and enjoy it for a few months before it's time to update. I will actually be unveiling 2 new sites and a new blog! Stay tuned.

Also, I have been waiting and waiting to tell you some other great news...Real Simple Magazine contacted me a couple months ago about the possibility of showcasing one of my weddings in their upcoming wedding issue. I happily submitted some images and they will be printed in their 2010 wedding issue hitting the shelves this Friday (I think). I will positively post more about this once I have it in my hands.

Thank you Real Simple for considering my work. I love your magazine!!

2010 has had a nice start and with more exciting jobs coming up it looks like it's going to be a good year.

New


My last photo shoot of 2009 was of this sweet little 2 week old baby girl. Yesterday work for me was staring, holding and cooing over a wee babe.

I feel so fortunate and blessed to be able to make my living seeing the things I see and recording them for others. 2009 has a been a year of amazing growth....for my business and for me personally. Thank you family, friends and clients for helping to give me the life I have.

Here's to what I couldn't look away from this year and all the things that will surprise my eyes in 2010.