When you move from one place to another, are you transplanted to or from?  Oh, well, I don't know the terminology but I think artist  Melissa Key has been transplanted from Ponchatoula, Louisiana to Tulsa, OK. I don't know if that makes her a transplanted Tulsan or not but we definitely want to keep her! She is a tremendous artist and I fell in love with her vibrant colors and the energy that flows through each and every work of art she creates. She has a true Christian heart - the kind you see and notice by her works and actions - and it shows in everything she does. She was a wedding photographer in her former Louisiana life and her photography is amazing. Look at these amazing photo cards. Do you love them?!  We kind of connected right away and I just love her vision and love of life. She met her husband, Rob Key, a fabulous iron artist, on the online match game. (We've had a dozen wedding couples from those same sites - it's a good thing - do it - and call me later!) They get to love and live and inspire each other's artistic talents 24/7 in beautiful T-town now and forever! We were thrilled to get to attend her recent gallery showing at The Shoe Gypsy on Cherry Street. They have some amazing shoes and with great art as the backdrop -- does it get better than that? Yes, it does, Lambrusco'z catered! Yes! (I'm addicted to that white queso)  There were local celebs and we were watching for P-Dub but she had other last minute media things and we did get to hang with her MIL and SIL, Missy!  You should really look at Melissa's work. It's amazing!  I nabbed one while I was there for my personal art collection. You should really check out The Melissa Key Gallery online and add one to yours!

In the early days of my business I spent a lot of time building my portrait work. This little one was my main subject since I got to have it all to myself 2 or 3 days a week while her mama went back to work for a few days. And guess what we did? We "played" in Nana's studio! She was so teeny and we had so much fun! I just never got enough of her!

21 years ago I got a marriage proposal that went something like this: Jay to me over the phone (one that was still wired to a wall) : So, do you think you can get off work early Friday?  Me: I don't know, why? Jay: Well, since we don't have kids this weekend, I thought we could go to Norman and get married. Me: Oh, okay. I'll ask.  I'm NOT kidding. That's pretty much how it went. So, on February 3, 1989, I took the afternoon off and we drove to Norman, Oklahoma to get married. It was exciting! We didn't tell a soul. When we got to the courthouse, it had been sleeting and was getting icy and they were sending people home early and we barely wrangled up a judge to marry us! It was in this judge's chambers that I first met Greg and Jennifer Hopeman - who were Jay's college friends. They stood up for us.  We had dinner with them and stayed over at their house that night before heading off to our "honeymoon" at the horse races on Saturday and then back home with a quick stop at Service Merchandise to get our wedding rings and move our households together and tell our kids we got married and we were all going to live together now and be a family. That was the FUN part. This is the FUNNY part - I am very close to my sister.  So, I call her on Sunday as usual and she asks - what'd you do this week? I say - well, I got married and she starts laughing and says "Me too!" She was supposed to get married in April but they got tired of all the wedding stuff so they eloped to Miami, OK and got married at Laverne's Wedding Chapel 3 days before we went to Norman, and neither of us told the other one before.  It was really funny but I guess you had to be there, huh? So, I guess the point I'm trying to make is, even though I didn't have a wedding to speak of, my wedding day holds special memories for me and so does my sister's for her. The one thing I can honestly say we do miss is the photographs - or lack thereof. Neither she nor I have any photographs of our wedding days and it just really makes me a little sad because I wore a kick-ass Calvin Klein silk skirt, blouse and a hand painted silk man's necktie (I did say 1989) and the cutest little boots! My sister wore a black leather mini skirt and boots to her wedding! We were young, cute and skinny and had big hair and not one picture for either of us!  It makes me realize that what I do is a real blessing and how important it is to people to have a recorded memory of that day, even if it's just an elopement.  Happy Anniversary, Honey! I love you and would marry you in Norman, Oklahoma in an ice storm all over again! (but this time I'd get someone GREAT to take pictures! Like Sarah Rhoads ... Oh, wait she was 3 years old maybe) At least she can take our photos now.   Here's a couple of images taken of us this past September in Seattle by Sarah Rhoads Photography. We aren't young, cute or skinny anymore but we are still in love and these photos mean the world to me.  xxoo  

There's just nothing better than a tiny baby.  I love the way they feel in your arms. I love the way they smell (most of the time). I love the way they seem to just be soaking it all in. I love just the tininess of them - their little hands, their little feet, their little ears...just their blessed littleness. This tiny boy belongs to two very young, teenage parents who love him so very very much. They may be young but they are both committed to their son and have tons of support from their families.  Bryceton is getting TONS of love!  He was only 3 weeks old here but I have never seen a baby that was more focused on his parents! He never went to sleep, little stinker! No matter how hard we tried we couldn't get him to close his eyes for a minute.  And he has the biggest, brown eyes ever! Three weeks old and he was looking right at my camera. Amazing! You guys are one of the sweetest families!  I just know you're going to make it work!