Monday, July 12, 2010

Aubrey is adorable

Here are a few photos I took of Aubrey while they were visiting. I LOVED her!!






I'm not sure she could get any cuter. She's a doll. :)

This is for Gay Picker...

I know I haven't updated my blog in ages, and Danielle's mom got onto me about it when I saw her recently. So this one is for you!

Andy and I have signed up to train and complete an Olympic distance triathlon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program. The event is the Nation's Triathlon in Washing D.C. on September 12th. By committing to this event, we have also committed to raising over $3,200 per person (for a combined total of $6500) to help find a cure for blood cancers! By "committing" I mean we give them our credit card as a back up, and any amount we fail to raise we pay ourselves. It's a scary endeavor, but we've been working hard since May to raise the money and I'm please to say we are only $1500 short of our goal! Thank you to everyone who supported our efforts!

In order to raise the rest of the money, we've been planning a fundraising event called "The Big Wig 'Stache Bash" on July 15th where guests dress up in wigs and mustaches to support cancer patients who've lost their hair to cancer treatments. A bar in Houston called Kobain has generously donated their venue and two drinks to every guest that attends. I've been working tirelessly to get local restaurants to donate food and silent auction items. All in all, its' been a ton of work! But it's all for an amazing cause, and one which is very close to my heart since my cousin Sarah is a Lymphoma survivor. Look for a blog update about our event soon. We're hoping for a great turn out and successful/fun event! You may remember that Andy and I completed our first marathon in 2008 with the Team in Training program, and that experience changed our lives in so many positive ways. That's why were back again and doing what we can to make a difference.

I gave you all that information to catch you up on our lives, but really to give some reason as to why I haven't updated in a while. Although I've been on summer break since June 3rd, it feels like fundraising has become a second job lately. I'm still staying busy doing cakes and photography. I'm hoping to start a new blog to document my work, so stay tuned for that. Where am I going with all of these hobbies? I have no idea, but I'm staying busy and enjoying it all.

Updating my blog wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. :) Thanks for the motivation Gay!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Taryn Melgoza Photography??

I took some family photos of my very good friend Lauren and her adorable family in January. I was really happy with them, so I loaded some online. Then a co-worker saw them and asked if I would take her engagement pictures. I was a little shocked, but of course I said yes! I was also excited to get some more practice with my camera and new lens I got for Christmas. She ended up posting these pictures on her facebook account, and since then I have been asked to shoot a wedding in July as well as graduation photos...! I'm not sure if this is a side business in the making, but I did start thinking of photography business names. It seems like every photographer uses their full name and the word "photography" at the end. It's not very original, but it does get your name out there effectively. If you have any ideas for photography names, let me know. I am up for suggestions. Here are some photos from these shoots. I would love to get more practice shooting, so let me know if you would like to be a model for me. Sydney gets bored being my model all the time. ;-)











And here of some of my recent cakes. Overall, I've been busy!







Monday, January 11, 2010

I like to eat Icing

After taking a cake decorating class this past summer, I've attempted a few "official" cakes over the past few months. Here's the evidence:


And yes, I usually eat WAY too much icing while I'm decorating. I definitely need to practice more to get better, but I'm really enjoying it! The best part is that after I finish a cake, the kitchen looks like an icing bomb went off. I'll have to get pictures of it next time as proof. I try to trick Andy into helping me clean it up, but he's smarter than I give him credit for. ;) Let me know what y'all think!