new blog!

Hello, everyone! Wow, can you believe we are already more than halfway through 2010?! I sure can't...it seems like just yesterday I was beginning the journey that was Penny & Spree; one photo a day for 2009.

I have decided to start a new blog for 2010 and beyond, and would like to invite you to join me on this new adventure! This year has been quite the challenging/joyous/unique one, and it only seemed right to start anew.

Thank you so much for your encouragement and support over here on Penny & Spree. I can honestly say that it was a life-changing experience, and one that would not have been possible without you. Knowing that you found happiness and inspiration in my photographs was the driving force behind each post, and brought so much joy to my world. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart...thank you.

If you'd like to accompany me on my new adventure(s), please do stop by The Little Things. I look forward to catching up! ;)

xoxo,
Kitty

happy birthday

"When she held out her arms, the world itself wrapped around me & held me tight..." -StoryPeople

To the strongest, bravest, most beautiful, inspirational, and nurturing woman I know...I love you, momya! ;o)

Renegade Craft Fair - this weekend!

Hi everyone! I apologize for being MIA over these past few weeks, but I promise it's been for good reason. This weekend I am participating in my first ever craft fair: Renegade!

The Renegade Craft Fair is a unique, juried event showcasing 150 local, national, and international artists + crafters. The fair takes place annually in cities across the US, including Brooklyn, Chicago, Los Angeles & San Francisco. At RCF you’ll find all sorts of cool handmade stuff – including jewelry, posters + prints, ceramics, stationery & more.

I have been burning the midnight oil every night this week trying to get everything organized and prepared...sanding/staining wood blocks, mounting photos onto said blocks, building card racks, signing and packaging prints, stamping bags, etc. etc. etc....PHEW!

If you live in or around Chicago, stop by and say hello! The show runs Saturday + Sunday, from 11am - 7pm, at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse in Wicker Park. Free trolleys will be running to and from the show, including a stop at Small Bar where you'll find a weekend-long $3 draft drink special on PBR! Yum! ;o)

I have two weeks' worth of pictures to share, along with photos from this upcoming weekend, so be sure to check back on the blog next week!

xoxo - Kitty.

friends

"They cherish one another’s hopes. They are kind to one another’s dreams." H.D. Thoreau

These beautiful tulips were a surprise from my dear friend Jenni, in celebration of the studio opening. Even though she couldn't be there in person, she was there in spirit...as she always is.

indiana and...the hill

Indiana's new favorite activity? Playing fetch at a local park and then rolling/chasing his ball down the big hill. Funniest. thing. ever! ;oD

one year later

{"staring contest. you, me. go."}

Can you believe Little T is almost two?! I sure can't.

Last year around this time I had just agreed to take his one-year photos, and was terrified. What had once been a lifelong passion for photography had been reduced to just a sometime hobby...a victim of my intense self-doubt.

But when I received Little T's family Christmas card in the mail, and saw a few of my photographs smiling back, something funny happened. I felt proud.

And now here we are, one year later. The self-doubt is still there, and probably always will be, but instead of running away from it like I used to, I'm learning to embrace it. It pushes me to learn more, to practice more, and to reach for the things that I never thought possible before.

So...thank you Little T, thank you H and P, for giving me the push I needed to move forward. I wouldn't be where I am today without it.

apple picking!

My Top Three Favorite Holidays:

1. Christmas
2. Thanksgiving
3. Apple Picking

I LOVE this time of year!! ;oD

matters of the heart

Hang in there LaLa, I love you...

fall, je t'aime

ooooh I can feel it coming...and like a kid in a candy store, I can hardly contain myself!!

Maybe it's the crispness in the air, or the sweet smell of dried leaf piles. It could also be my fuzzy gray sweater (14-years-old and counting) finally coming out again after a long summer's nap, or the taste of fresh apples straight from the orchard.

This image was taken last year during our annual apple-picking extravaganza. There's nothing like that first sip of hot apple cider (or watching your mother-in-law climb trees) to get the season started! ;oD

one year

One year ago today, T. and I exchanged wedding vows. It was the most beautiful day I have ever experienced...the people, the location, the energy, the person.

Being surrounded, both physically and spiritually, by all of the people we hold most dear was nothing short of amazing, and a feeling that I will never, ever forget. It was exciting, humbling, hilarious, and heart-wrenching...all rolled into one.

We spent today reminiscing; laughing, crying, and embracing the fact that we are blessed beyond belief to have found one another in this vast, complicated world we call life.

To our family and friends: thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for making September 6th, 2008 the greatest day of our entire lives.

To Tommy...my husband, my soulmate, my best friend: I love you even more today.

{Wedding album and images courtesy of the uber-talented Paige Eden}

constant remedy

being sick is no fun, although a hefty cup of Constant Comment always makes me feel a teensy bit better...

something blue

a locket i put together for my friend jilly to attach to her wedding bouquet. her father passed away several years ago, and inside is one of her favorite pictures of she and him.

birthday girl

"just a little taste..."

"maybe just a little bit more..."

"and perhaps a little more..."

"I'm thinkin' I could get used to this..." ;o)

Thank you for all the Birthday wishes, everyone!

{Photos taken by Family Rogers ~ August 24th, 1981}

a gift

A few days ago when T. was mowing the yard, he noticed our neighbor, Helen, standing at the fence flagging him down. After he stopped the lawnmower and headed over, she handed him a tiny post-it booklet (pictured above) and told him that she had made it for me. "I know she is very busy," she said, "and I want her to have this gift."

Now, for those of you who know me, you can imagine my reaction when T. passed along my little present and the story behind it. Not only was I enamored by the sheer cuteness of it all, but I was also struck by how well Helen has read me over the past few years via simple conversations over her lilac (or snow, depending on the season)-covered fence.

I am grateful to Helen for many reasons, especially for reminding me just how special handmade gifts are. Knowing that someone took the time to think about you, then sit down and actually make something for you, is humbling...and a greater gift than the gift itself.

an oldie but goodie

It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since T. and I got hitched. Let's see here...last year around this time I was scouring craigslist for old mason jars, writing up our programs, and talking our guitarist into learning a Zeppelin song for my walk down the aisle! ;o)

I wanted our guests to have something to remember the mountains by (we got married in Colorado), so the week before the wedding I took a bunch of pictures to be printed out as favors. Of course I waited until the last minute--and by last minute I mean 2AM the day of the wedding--to print them all out / cut them to size (bless you J, bless you), but the end result was just as I had envisioned.

Here is one of my favorite shots, taken in the dewy grass near Lake Dillon in Frisco.

special treats

Every so often we give Daisy and Indiana special treats. Indiana's favorite is Science Diet canned food, and Daisy's is a Busy Bone. Now I must admit that the Busy Bone treat is especially enjoyable to us as well...because Daisy seems to get it all over her little whiskers!! I was laughing so hard while trying to capture this shot, and as you can see, she is saying, "What, Mom?" ;o}

happy camper

A few things I did this weekend:

• Told ghost stories by the campfire.
• Searched for the perfect skipping stone.
• Hiked until my legs couldn't hike any longer.
• Saw the reflection of Jupiter on Lake Superior, and counted constellations.
• Wore long undies and a winter cap to bed.
• Listened to the sound of a brief rain, pitter-pattering on the outside of our tent.
• Watched the sun set over the lake.
• Watched the sun rise over the lake.
• Caught the smell of campfire faintly lingering on my clothes.

Many more pictures to come... ;o)

happy father's day...

...to the most intelligent, talented, modest, strong, and generous man I know. Thank you, Daddio, for inspiring me to be the best person I can possibly be. I love you more than words can say.

{photo credit: Momya Rogers} ;o)

happy birthday, lala!

Today is my little sister's birthday. I can't believe she is 25...I still remember her as a pudgy-cheeked 2-year old, swishing around the house in her little diaper. Her favorite song was "Lady in Red"...she loved it so much my mom bought her the record, and she'd stand by our little Fisher Price record player and swish swish swish to the music. Her favorite color was "gween," and she always wanted her juice in the "gween" sippy cup. We did everything together right up until I left for college, and all of my favorite memories from growing up involve our many adventures.

Here's to you today, Lala...my sister, my best friend. Thank you for making my life that much brighter. I love you. ;o)

tiny models

Today I had the extreme pleasure of photographing the R family. Look at these little beauties!! Even though it was raining outside, we had such a wonderful time indoors...snuggling with Evo the lab, dancing around in princess dresses, and posing by the windows {to take advantage of all that natural light!} ;o).

Thank you so much Mom, Dad, K and D! Can't wait to see you all again soon.