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A few weeks back, I got a message from my good college buddy Jon Scott, telling me I should think about “reconnecting” with a college pal of ours, Sarah.

To be fair, Sarah was more Nick’s friend than mine (they still like to talk about their freshmen year in college together) but now we share our friends (and our French fries) ’cause that’s what married couples do

Sarah is a photographer herself and aside from catching up with an old friend, Jon thought we might have something to talk about.

DID WE EVER!

Nick and I hung out a few weeks back with Sarah and her boyfriend, Billy, in Indianapolis and we all just clicked (Sarah and I knew we were in trouble when Nick and Billy started geeking out over Fark!)

We had so much fun, Sarah and I had to hook up again and “talk shop,” this time with our cameras in hand. So without further ado, here’s the fun, sassy, sarcastic, never-afraid-to-speak-her-mind Sarah Brown!

Photographers are always on the hunt for a good mural for a backdrop. Sarah had just spotted this one freshly painted and I’m sure we’ll be seeing this on other photographers’ blogs soon - it was huge!

How cute is she? Seriously, if you couldn’t tell by that big ‘ol smile on her face, Sarah’s personality is infectious. You can’t help but laugh when she’s around!

While we were taking these last shots, some skeezy (yes, that is SO a word!) dude drove up in his hooptee trying to hit on us. I was clicking away and Sarah just took it like a trooper. Then again, what dude wouldn’t hit on this gal?

Jon THANK YOU FOR PUTTING SARAH AND I BACK IN TOUCH! I’m not kidding when I say this guy (Jon) could go into business reconnecting people like he did us - dude knows EVERYBODY who graduated from Ball State in the past decade!!

And Sarah, thank you for being the same fun person I remembered you being five years ago - you ROCK and I cannot wait to second shoot with you next month!

****To see the shots Sarah took of me, head on over to her blog!****

I know, I know, another photo of flowers. If it seems like that’s all you’ve been seeing on the blog these days, well, that’s because it is!

But here’s the good news: I have my first engagement session this weekend with my very, very dear friend Tracy (up in Cleveland no less — hey, I hear it rocks so I am BEYOND excited for the shoot and to post some photos of a beautiful couple on this blog!

Now, I have a deadline for a copyediting project next week, and what stinks is that I know I’m going to want to spend ALL my free time editing their photos but I’ve got to get my manuscript back first! So be patient … and hopefully, you’ll find it worth your wait

We have a ton of red tulips that have (well, had now) been blooming in our front yard when these little stragglers popped up among them. I just love this shot - reminds me of how nature doesn’t always bring with it what you had expected.

When it comes to being a gear head, I pick and choose what to obsess over.

Camera equipment? Check.

Computers? Check.

Cell phones? Well …. not so much.

I’m not big on talking on the phone (problematic given how many of my family members live far away), which is probably why, in the past 10 years, I have owned exactly two cell phones (and people, we are living in a day and age where people change their cell phones as frequently as their underwear!)

I’d been using my husband’s old cell phone (circa 2003) for ages but wanted a new phone with better texting capabilities since, yes, I did what I told myself I would never do — fall in love with text messaging. I was going to purchase a new phone last fall, after Verizon told me I could upgrade since my contract was up for renewal. So I set up an appointment, went in, and WAITED TWO HOURS in line - even though I had an appointment! I left the store empty-handed, believing if Dante was putting together a modern-day nine circles of hell, the inside of a Verizon Wireless store would have to be among them.

I thought I’d hold out for an iPhone, but I just can’t part with that kind of cash yet while trying to invest in camera equipment. Which means I was elated last night when Nick’s buddy, Brian, told me about the wonderful perks of buying a new Verizon phone online. And here’s what the lame customer service reps at Verizon won’t tell you in person: You get a $50 ONLINE REBATE if you upgrade your phone over the Internet. That’s on top of the discounts you get for renewing your contract. Since I’d never had a problem with my Verizon phone service, it sounded like a win-win deal. So, for $30 (and no one-time activation fee - oh yeah, you heard me right on that one), check out what the lovely FedEx man will be bringing me this week:

(I know it’s silly of me to blog about a cell phone, but I figured if I didn’t know about Verizon’s awesome online discounts, chances were others didn’t either so I thought I’d share this little nugget and maybe help someone else save some cash — and hours in line in Verizon purgatory — the next time they need a new phone.