#65 Complete: Pick Grapes

#65: Pick grapes in Gum Neck

Please excuse the cell phone photo. All of my equipment was off getting tuned and squeaky clean when my family and I went to pick grapes down in Gum Neck. This was actually the only photo that shows proof that we went. I didn't take any photos while we were there because we had to pick quick or the mosquitoes would have picked you up and carried you away! :)

#68: Complete | Jones Reunion

#68: Attend the 2011 Jones Reunion

Each year my paternal grandfather's family gets together for a small reunion in May. This year I was able to attend. It was great to see everyone, but I really enjoyed seeing all of the photographs that my cousins had brought. I learned while at the reunion that my Uncle Sam, my grandfather's brother, loved photography too and took lots of photos. I guess that's where I get it from?!





The next picture is a photo of my Grandaddy as a young boy! Isn't he handsome? :)


My grandad and one of his sisters.



Lots of pictures but I decided to focus on the center image of some of Dora & Ashby's grandkids. I think that picture is too cute of them all piled in the boat!

101 things in 1001 days: Take 2

I decided to do a 101 list again; having done it once I had a few new ideas for this time around. Last time I only completed 33 tasks on my list. Even though I didn’t complete all 101, I don’t know I would have completed some of those if it hadn’t been on my list to begin with. I feel that sharing them helped me to accountable and motivated. Only 33 tasks doesn’t really scream motivation does it? Well I’m hoping that this time around I’ll have even more motivation!

Goal setting is used by many in all fields. Setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation. It focuses your acquisition of knowledge, and helps you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the very most of your life. By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in the achievement of those goals, and you'll see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. You will also raise your self-confidence, as you recognize your own ability and competence in achieving the goals that you've set.

I learned through the past 1001 days that I change and life changes over the course of 1001 days. Ways that I wouldn’t have known when I first started. While 1001 days gives you plenty of time to check off goals especially those that are seasonal in nature, I’m also going to use that time to add other things to my list which is why you’ll notice that it isn’t completed just yet. Over the course of the last 1001 days, I'd find myself saying I’d like to do that or I need to put that on my next 101 list, but now I couldn’t tell you what those things are. Now I have space to add those things to this particular list as they come to mind. I've also given myself a date to revise my list if needed. During the last 1001 days I would have never thought I’d have a baby, but now I couldn’t imagine my life any other way! That's just one example of when it would have been the perfect opportunity to revise my list.

Most of the tasks on the previous list that weren’t completed were the first on this list minus a few. And the only reason those didn’t make the cut is because they don’t have relevance to me anymore because of the changes in myself and the life that I live now. So, without any more rambling, I introduce to you, my NEW 101 list...

START DATE: Wednesday, March 16, 2011
REVISION DATE: Saturday, July 28, 2012 (approx. half way through)
END DATE: Wednesday, December 11, 2013


1. Take a road trip (must be over 3 hours from home) and document the journey in photographs.
2. 2nd shoot a wedding.
3. Buy a new lens for my camera.
4. Sit front row at a Kenny Chesney concert (a girl can dream right?)
5. Enter photos into a print competition
6. Go to my 10-year high school reunion
7. Visit Hilton Head again
8. Attend at least 2 photography workshops
9. Photograph a birth story
10. Build a snowman
11. Go to the Biltmore
12. Apply and go back to school
13. Go to a Garth Brooks concert
14. Go one week without drinking soda
15. Vote in the ’12 Presidental election
16. Read 3 books to learn more about photography / business.
17. Read 20 books (non-business related)
      *House Rules - Jodi Picoult (finished April 2011)
      *The Help - Kathryn Stockett (finished July 27, 2011)
      *The Best of Me - Nicholas Sparks (finished November 1, 2011)
      *The Hunger Games: Book One (finished March 26, 2012)
      *The Hunger Games: Book Two- Catching Fire (finished March 30, 2012)
      ***The Hunger Games: Book Three- Mockingjay (currently reading)
      *Book One: Fifty Shades of Grey  (finished June 10, 2012)
      *Book Two: Fifty Shades Darker (finished June 13, 2012)
      *Book Three: Fifty Shades Freed (finished June 15, 2012)
      *The Sweet Series: Book One: Sweet Surrender (finished June 26, 2012)
      ***The Sweet Series: Book Two:  Sweet Persuasion (currently reading)
18. Travel outside of the United States
19. Visit a US state that I’ve never been to
20. Organize my home-office
21. Go snow skiing
22. See a musical at the DPAC
23. Go on a carriage ride (central park preferably, but any will do)
24. Go on a picnic
25. Take photos of my parents
26. Take photos of each set of grandparents
27. Go to the Zoo
28. Donate Blood
29. Create a cookbook with all of my great-grandmother’s recipes
30. Have my photo taken in a photobooth that does the skinny strips
31. Do better about blogging each of my tasks as they are completed.
32. Watch the movie “Born into Brothels”
33. Go ice skating
34. Have one/some my images in a published in a magazine
35. Read the bible completely
36. Spa day! (Ahhh!)
37. Learn to play bunco and start a bunco group to meet/play monthly.
38. Learn to play bridge.
39. Sit down with my Nonnie and get her to teach me to knit.
40. See Jack Johnson in concert
41. Have a yard sale
42. Dress in costume for Halloween
43. Find at least 5 new outdoor locations for photo shoots
44. Document ‘a week in my life’ with photos
45. Upgrade/redesign my blog
46. Upgrade/redesign my website
47. Can at least 20 jars of tomatoes
48. Put up corn (on and off the cob)
49. Visit / Photograph all the lighthouses in NC
50. Join a book club
51. Play with sidewalk chalk
52. Go kayaking
53. Visit Nashville, TN
54. Have a girls night/weekend
55. Go white-water rafting
56. Watch The Lost Colony
57. Get engaged!
58. Go bowling
59. Spend a whole day at the beach
60. Add a bio page to my website.
61. Updated headshots of me.
62. Develop a new system to organize client information (address, emails, etc.)
63. Develop and begin send a gift to wedding clients once they book with Megan Lane Photography
64. Encourage 3 friends to make their own 101 list.
65. Pick grapes in Gum Neck
66. Visit Beech Mountain’s Land of Oz.
67. Teach Children's Church one Sunday
68. Go to the 2011 Jones Reunion
69. Enroll Grace in a ballet class
70. Vacation in Hatteras for a week
71. Have family portraits made in Gum Neck
72. Pay off my car!
73. Teach at my church's VBS
74. Design and have bridge tally's printed for my Mom
75. Go to San Diego
76. Second Shoot with Marc Montocchio
77. Go to NC Museum of Art
78. Take Grace to Marbles Museum
79. Visit Shannon and family in FL
80. Go to Vegas
81. Get a sewing machine
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101.

101 List

Anyone remember my 101 List to complete in 1001 Days? If you just started following this blog you probably don't as I haven't blogged about it much because I haven't completed many of the tasks on my list. My 1001 days has come and gone. I started my list 5/1/08 and my last day was 1/26/11. You can click the link above to see my list.
The final count for my first ever 101 list is:
*33 goals completed
*Only 12 of which have been blogged (this makes me sad)
*7 or so goals I'm not interested in doing any more
*61 goals remain unattempted but I am still interested in possibly completing them

Tonight as I was going through my list and rather disappointed in myself for not completing more yet I was still determined to make a new list which I will share shortly! Stay tuned...

#47: Check

#47: Go pick strawberries




Back during strawberry season my friend Sandi and I took our 4Hers to a strawberry farm to pick some berries! Here's a few images from our fun adventure!











We all had strawberry juice from mouth to toe! :)

I went through my list of 101 things today and realized that I have completed only 24 of my 101 things, 12 of which I haven't even blogged about and I only have 3 months from today to get them completed. I better get busy! My 1001 days ends on January 26, 2011.

I will be out of town until next Sunday working on one of my 101 things! :) In the meantime I have some posts scheduled for you to enjoy while I'm out of town featuring those things that I've yet to blog so far! Enjoy!

#74: Check

#74: Try deep sea fishing again



About 5 years ago, I went on my first deep sea fishing trip. Not only did we not catch any fish, but I was sick. I did get to enjoy the ride out to the blue water, but once we slowed down it was down hill from there. I had even taken motion sickness medicine and it didn't help any. I was miserable. So I told myself I probably wouldn't go again.



Then when I was making my 101 list I decided that this would be a good thing to add back to my list to see if I'd have a different experience. The day came last November; some family & friends of mine got together and met at the boat out of Oregon Inlet around 5:30am and headed out for a day of fishing, and it was a good one. Once we'd get one on the line- we'd have another - sometimes three. At times there were 3 of us reeling in fish at the same time.



That's me above. I wore one of those motion sickness patches behind my ear. Although I did get sick, it was only once and then I was good to go. I'd definitely love to go again.

#71: Check

#71: Climb Jockey's Ridge



On February 20, 2010 my friend Sandi and I took our 4Hers down to the beach to play laser tag and to climb Jockey's Ridge. I didn't think about it in the planning process, but realized once I was there that this was on my 101 things list. So I trecked up the hill with my 4Hers and made it to the top! Here are a few pictures I took while they were having a ball playing.







As I was preparing this post I was looking through my list and realized that I had done a lot more on my list that I haven't blogged about. Hopefully I can post some more of those things soon!

#23: CHECK

It feels good to blog about my 101 list. I haven't completed anything on the list in sometime now, so it's great to mark one off!

#23: Read 10 (non-business related) books
I honestly thought this would take me much longer than it did. I got on a roll with reading when I made the list and knocked out 8 books within the months of May-August, which is a record for me.

I enjoyed reading each of these books. I'm a big Nicholas Sparks fan so picking up his new one only took me 2 days to read. Now that I took on this task I am a huge fan of Emily Giffin as well. Not really sure how I picked up her first book to start with, but I like her style. As you can tell I read 4 of her books out of my 10. I strongly suggest reading Something Borrowed followed by Something Blue. The way she tied the two books together is interesting. Something Borrowed is written from one girls perspective and Something Blue is written from her friends perspective & picks up right where the other book left off. Really interesting! I actually own all 4 of those books, so if anyone wants to borrow them just let me know! All 10 books were good books, but of course I liked some better than others.

Here's a list, incase you can't see the titles/authors in the image above.
#1 *Something Borrowed by: Emily Giffin (completed May '08)
#2 *Something Blue by: Emily Giffin (completed May '08)
#3 *Love the One Your With by: Emily Giffin (completed June '08)
#4 *Kentucky Rich by: Fern Michaels (completed July '08)
#5 *Ana's Story by: Jenna Bush (completed July '08)
#6 *Questions to Ask Before Marrying (completed July '08)
#7 *Baby Proof by: Emily Giffin (completed Aug '08)
#8 *The Tenth Circle by: Jodi Picoult (completed Aug '08)
#9 *The Lucky One by: Nicholas Sparks (completed Oct '08)
#10 *How to be Lost by: Amanda Eyre Ward (completed Feb ‘09)

Anyone else been inspired to make a 101 list? Let me know so I can mark off #81!

#42... complete!

This one on my 101 list has been completed for some time now, I'm just finding the time to blog about it.

42. Do something to help the Spinal Cord Society -COMPLETED 9.8.09

Last year the Spinal Cord Society (SCS)-Raleigh Chapter hosted their 10th annual golf tournament, with auction, to raise money for medical research to CURE chronic spinal cord injury paralysis. Last year's event was held September 8, 2008.

You can read more about the SCS-Raleigh Chapter here.

And here are a few images taken by photographer Rick Crank at the tournament.



Nicole & I:


Most of the golfers, volunteers, & sponsors:


Some volunteers hanging out with Steph:


If you'd like to help with the 2009 Event, just drop a comment on the blog or shoot me an email. We'd love to have you join us!

#50... check!

#50. Get some canvas prints made!

One more down from my 101 list! I've had quite a few canvas prints made to give as presents as well as for customer orders. I thought I'd share one with you that I did for my sister-in-law back in August for her birthday!



This is a 14x14 Gallery Wrapped Canvas Collage. Basically the image is printed larger than the final size, and the print is then wrapped around a thick wooden stretcher bar. Framing paper covers up the back of the bars, and metal hangers and bumpers are applied to the corners. A Gallery Wrap is ready to hang with no additional work needed. You can also choose to find a cute stand for your canvas to sit on, to be a decoration for your table top!



All Gallery Wraps are protected with a special laminate designed for canvas prints, therefore it is protected from scuffs and scratches. The laminate also offers UV protection and is included in the price. Gallery Wrapped canvas are offered in many sizes ranging from 8x8 to 30x40.



Do you have an image from your session this year you were thinking of giving as a Christmas present? Why not try it as a Gallery Wrap.

#21... check!

#21: Vote in the '08 presidential election.

Ok, so I voted last Monday, but I'm just getting around to blogging about it. If you haven't already voted, get out there and do so, TODAY is the day!!!



Make your vote count!

#10... check!

#10: Buy a Shootsac.

Well, I really didn't have to buy a Shootsac... my adorable parents gave me one for my BiRtHdAy last month! :)



Then with the money I got for my birthday I bought this snazzy cover to go with my Shootsac. I can SO see myself going crazy over these covers. They have tons of colors and designs to choose from! One to match each outfit?!? hehe...



So excited! :)



To see my list of 101 things, click here.

#86... check!

I have crossed off one more thing on my 101 list: #86. Visit New Orleans

I had the opportunity to go to New Orleans at the beginning of the month for a workshop called, Image X. For more information on how I got this opportunity, click here for a past blog post.



After a bachelorette/bachelor weekend with friends, S and I left on a plane mid-Sunday and headed to the "Big Easy". Once we arrived we caught a cab from the airport to the French Quarter.


The French Quarter is New Orleans most popular neighborhood. It is one of the most preserved historical neighborhoods in America and has a strong Spanish and French influence. In the Quarter you'll find some really neat antique shops and art galleries along with the most famous street in America, Bourbon Street. You might even see famous people because Brad Pitt along with Nicholas Cage and many others own houses within the quarter.



Our workshop was taking place in the Omni Royal Hotel, an 1827 Creole Townhouse, that's only one block from Bourbon Street.



After such a busy weekend and a tiring flight into the city we took it easy Sunday night and rented a movie in our room. 21, if you haven't seen it, is a pretty cool movie about the game Blackjack. Interesting choice, since we actually played this game the following evening. Monday morning came fast and my cold that I was beginning to get over the past weekend, hit me hard. However it didn't put a damper on my day. The morning consisted of classroom time with Joe Photo. Then we ventured out for lunch, where I met S and we ate at The Napoleon House.



After lunch it was time to shoot around the quarter. We had a beautiful bride & groom as models. Here's a shot of Joe as we were shooting in Jackson Square.



Monday evening, since S was still in town, he and I went out to dinner at NOLA restaurant, one of the 3 restaurants owned by Emeril. The food was delicious!




Then we took a carriage ride around the quarter. We learned many historical facts about the city and got to see the beautiful architecture of all the buildings. After the carriage ride we went to Harrah's Casino for some roulette and blackjack action. It was a fun night to be at the casino because not only was it Monday night football, but it was Monday night football in New Orleans! The New Orlean Saints were playing the Minnesota Vikings. People in the casino were going crazy over the game and everyone had on their saints jerseys. After a close 4th quarter the Saints couldn't quite pull it off.

After some much needed rest, Tuesday was already here. I had the opportunity to spend the day with the wonderful Chenin Boutwell. Chenin taught us a lot about branding and style: finding our true style within our photographs. After a morning of discussion we set out in the streets again to shoot with a new model. Here's a sneek peek (I have tons from this session that I love)!



Wednesday consisted of a wrap-up session where a panel of photographers answered questions. The panel consisted of: Jessica Claire, Jesh de Rox, Tamara Lackey, Jerry Ghionis, Chenin, Victor Sizemore, and John Michael Cooper - all of which are AMAZING and so very TALENTED photographers! Then it was time to catch that jet plane home and boy was that a LONG trip. What should have been 5 hours ended up being 9. Ahh... the joys of flying.

Stay tuned next week for posts of Monday & Tuesday's sessions in the quarter!

# 72....Check

# 72. Can at least 10 jars of tomatoes.



I love tomatoes! This weekend my Mom and I not only canned 10 jars, but 20 jars of tomatoes. Last Thursday I went to the Farmers Market in Raleigh and bought 75 lbs. of tomatoes. Saturday Mom and I dove in and ended up with 20 quarts full of those delicious red things! Yummy!



I'm always borrowing canned tomatoes during the winter from my Mom and Grandmothers so I can make spaghetti and veggie soup, so this year I was determined to can my own to have.



Not only did I mark one thing off of my 101 things to do list, I also got to spend some QT with my Mom!!