Random Ramblings

In approximately 37 days (if I did my math right) I will be leaving for MAMMOTH, CALIFORNIA! Can you tell that I'm just a little bit excited for some hiking and photography?

I just got this new camera backpack and I'm so ready to try it out! It can hold so much and it's going to be perfect for taking hiking with me. It even has a nifty little water bottle holder and if you know me than you know I love me some water all the time.

I've never been anywhere farther West than Kansas and I am so excited to see life on the other coast! I hear it is absolutely gorgeous, especially Mammoth, so I cannot wait. We are also going to hit up Yosemite for a few days while we're there. Get ready for lots of amazing pictures!

And while we're talking about traveling....

Guess where else I get to venture off to this summer?



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ANCHORAGE, ALASKA!

My dad does a lot of traveling for his job, and this is one of the places he's going to this summer. So, lucky me gets to go up there and hang out once he's done with all the work stuff! Hello bears, moose, glaciers, and crazy gorgeous scenery...I'm coming to see you in 55 days!

And don't worry; I'm pretty sure the massively awesome crazy camera backpack will make an appearance again ;)

In other news, I need some opinions. Should I cut my hair off: yes or no?

 

I wouldn't get it super short or anything, probably just shoulder length ish. Here's my thoughts...

A) Short hair would be perfect for Summer

B) It would be eaiser to maintain

C) People have said I look good with shorter hair

But...

D) I kind of really like having my hair long again

E) I like that it can go up in a pony tail and be long/go over my shoulder -- does that make sense?

Ok, give me your opinions, cut it short or not?!

Ciao,

B.Hines

My Weekend Through the Lens of a Camera Phone

This weekend was a very busy but fun weekend for me. The warm hot weather is finally here and I love it! Especially on a weekend where I have nothing to do but take pictures and relax. :)

Friday

On Friday I had work but left early to head on down to my hometown of Fuquay Varina to attend my first ever wedding as a photographer! I've been working a lot with one of the Raleigh photographers and I've had some great experiences being able to learn from her. She asked if I wanted to help shoot a wedding on Friday and of course I jumped right on that opportunity! I only stayed for the first half (the getting ready, the ceremony, and the cocktail hour) but it was so much fun. I was able to see how crazy and amazing it is to be a part of someones special day. I feel so blessed to have gotten these opportunities! On the way home I was thinking about how wonderful everything was and I noticed that the sunset was absolutely gorgeous. It's just amazing to see how great God is...

Saturday

La playa! A friend and I went down to the beach for the day for some relaxation and SUN! It was an absolutely perfect day for the beach and after hanging out in the sand for a few hours we were able to meet up with Danella and my step sister Lisa for some yummy muffins :)

The clouds were pretty awesome looking to me as well...

I guess it's the little things in life :)

That night I spent some time at home with my mom. My step-dad was out of town and my brother was at work, so it was just us girls...eating dinner and talking!

Sunday

Sunday morning I had another photography opportunity and I got to help shoot a triathlon at one of the local YMCA's. It was such a hot morning but it was so encouraging to see everyone giving it their all in the race! That afternoon some friends from middle school and I went to the pool to get some more sun and catch up with each other. It was an entertaining afternoon, to say the least. After the pool we went to Moe's, and then tried out this super yummy frozen yogurt place, Freshberrys (I think?), that none of us had been to.



SO YUMMY!



We wandered a bit around campus...

Stole a friends dog...



Finley is impossible to get a picture of, is scared of the lake (or geese/ducks/people?), and apparently he is sick of that leash too... but he's such a precious puppy.

And went to the lake where we saw some cute little babies!

All in all it was a great weekend spent outside with friends and family! And now, sadly, it's Monday. I started my summer class this morning (it's not going to be fun...) and spent the rest of the day at work. I just want to be outside in the HEAT! But I'm very excited for this holiday weekend coming up. My cousin from Pittsburgh is coming to town and I have no doubt that it will be another great weekend! Now let's hope this week flys by...

Adios,

B.Hines

The Greatest Night of My Life

Once upon a time, I finally met the man of my dreams. And now I'm here to tell you all the story...

Let's start with some history first, shall we? During my Freshman year of High School I became truly obsessed with NC State basketball. Not only was the team fairly decent, at least more so than they have been during my 4 years of college, but they also had a certain player that was (and still is) downright dreamy. Helloooo Engin Atsur. During those 4 years of High School I continued to watch and love NC State basketball. I attended games, sat as close as possible, and took a million pictures like a crazy person.

After sitting on the floor at one of the Red/White games, I saw that a lot of other fans were crowded around the players entrance to the locker rooms, waiting for them to come back out for autographs/pictures. This was it, my opportunity to meet the guy I'd been dreaming of! I walked over to where the rest of the crowd was, with my poster and sharpie in hand, and asked someone if he could please send out Engin Atsur. After what seemed like forever of waiting, the man finally brought him out. Except, it wasn't actually him. Instead it was his just-as-dreamy teammate, Ilian Evtimov. Apparently the man that worked there didn't know much about the NC State basketball players, and he brought out the wrong foreigner. I wasn't about to let that opportunity pass though, and I still got an autograph. However there was no Engin Astur for me that day...

I look ridiculous, I know....

Years went by and I still followed the team, but eventually Engin's time at NC State was up and my Senior year of High School was his last year at State. That was also the year that I found out that I was accepted to State and that I would be attending my dream college! But of course, as my luck would have it, he would no longer be there. I still went to all of the basketball games throughout my years at State and cheered on my team, silently wishing that Engin Atsur would just show up to one, or all, of the games. Weeeelp, God answers prayers ya'll. During my Sophomore year, Hillary and I were at the basketball game against Wake Forest, just sitting (or more like standing) on the floor enjoying the game, when who walks in?

Engin Atsur, in the flesh. And yes, I realize that this picture is stalker level, but whatever. So of course, throughout the rest of the game I was all jittery and I wouldn't stop talking about it to Hillary. Well it turned out that this Wake Forest game was actually one of the biggest games I had been to in my college career (unfortunately I missed the game where we beat UNC...). I don't remember all of the details about why it was so important that we beat them, but it was, and we did. Afterwards, everyone rushed the court and celebrated!

"omgosh...I'm on the floor right now?!"

And who else is on the floor right now? Engin Atsur! So after much debating and whining about being nervous, I finally made my way over to where he was standing and bashfully asked for a picture with him...

Too bad I looked bogus at this game...

So there ya have it, one of the happiest moments of my life. I was so pumped up off adrenaline and nerves that I couldn't stop smiling for the rest of the night/week/month/year! Even now, it still makes me so happy :)

Have a wonderful Thursday,
B.Hines

Unforgettable

Day 21: A picture of something you wish you could forget

I had a whole post typed out and ready to be published, after adding in some pictures, and now it's gone. I saved it though, so where did it go?! Silly blogger probably deleted it when it had all the problems this weekend. Boo.

So anyway, I have been thinking for a while about what I wish I could forget. I've come to the conclusion that I honestly don't think I want to forget anything. Yeah, I've gone through some really tough times, but those moments have made me who I am today. It was also during those times that I was taught to truly rely on God, and in the end my relationship with Him only strengthened. So, here are some wonderful things that I hope I never forget...

Spending a wonderful day with family

Losing and finding my wallet in Italy while studying abroad

Random road trips with friends

Orlando for the NCSU Bowl Game

D.C.

Nashville

The excitement and adrenaline that I felt during my first real photography gig

Hooray camera phones

How it felt to be in love

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The wonderful times spent during Sophomore year in The Tree House

The amazing summers spent with my YMCA family

Breakfast's in the apartment at U. Village

Hearing a really good sermon that speaks right to your heart

I don't really have a picture for this. But go here and look for the sermon from May 15th! I'm not sure when it will be up there, but I'm hoping soon. It was a great sermon.

NC State Football

First trip to Pittsburgh for my first Steelers game

The absolute JOY that I felt due to meeting my crush, Engin Atsur
(don't worry, I'll have a whole post devoted to this night soon)

and lastly, life with Lucky

There have been so many other unforgettable moments in my life, but I probably shouldn't make this post any longer than it already is ;) Have a wonderful and happy Tuesday!

Ciao,

B.Hines

Weekend Festivities

This weekend was filled with so much fun stuff, I can't believe that now I actually have to study for an exam tomorrow...but at least it's my only exam!

Friday

After spending a few hours at work while Hillary took her exam, we both headed out to her home town of Ararat! Unfortunately we got there kind of late in the afternoon so it was time for dinner, and I didn't get to have the grand tour of the town. But, I did get to pose with the Ararat sign...

Saturday

Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure! This race was huge! The two 5k's I've done have been little turkey trots, so they weren't that crazy. The only other big race I did was the Krispy Kreme challenge and this race was probably just as big in size. It was a lot of fun though. We ran it in downtown Winston Salem and all throughout the race there were people cheering us on, it kept me running the whole time! I even beat my score from last time by a good 5 minutes, which is very exciting :) 

Before..

And after... 

The rest of the day Saturday was spent doing nothing. I went home for a bit and hung out with my family and just relaxed :)

Sunday: Momma's day!

Let me first off just say that I love my mom to pieces! She is an amazing woman and I hope to be just like her when I'm a mother :) To celebrate her wonderful day we picked strawberries... 

we threw old chairs in the dump...

we made chocolate covered strawberries, so yummy... 

we cooked dinner... 

we played Skip-Bo, my new favorite game...

and of course, we took family pictures... 

After everyone left, my mom, Roger, Michael, and I went out on the porch for some more Skip-Bo :) We all let mom win because it was Mother's Day, of course. 

And now on this glorious Monday morning I need to start studying for my exam tomorrow. I hope you all had a great Mother's Day weekend and have a fantastic week!

Happy Monday,

B.Hines

Ararat

Today is a day for the history books, y'all. I am finally venturing on over to Ararat, Virginia. Never heard of it? Not surprising. It's this little town (is it even considered a town?) near Mt Airy where my Roommie is from. Just in case you're interested in a bit more about it, here's some good reading material for you: The South Will Rise Again, Yaw People! Yes, that's my roommates blog post and yes that is where I'm going. Apparently they only have one stop light, and it's not even a real stop light, it's a blinking light. My home town of Fuquay isn't looking so small anymore...

So my reason for spending a night in Ararat? Well, other than the fact that I have always wanted to go (apparently it's in the mountains...a photographer's dream!), we are going to run a 5k tomorrow. Yes, we. If you know my roommate you might be shocked, but it's for real! I'm so excited :)

To prepare for tomorrow, I'm eating really healthy all day today...

Nothing says healthy like eating a cookie the size of your face! Yuuummm. As you can tell I'm not too worried about this race tomorrow.

But I guess now I should pack. I'll be back tomorrow (or more realistically, Sunday) with pictures and stories!

Happy Friday,

B.Hines