2017 was a rough year for a lot of us, and I am no exception.  Between losing my grandmother and some dear friends to illness, as well as dealing with the political and global events of our time, this year has definitely had its challenges. There were, however, many wonderful moments, too.  And it is those moments on which I choose to focus during my annual year end review.  These are the moments in which I felt the strongest joy this year.

THE ELTON JOHN CONCERT

In January, Jeff and I took my parents to see Elton John perform his ‘Million Dollar Piano’ at Caesars Palace.  I had never seen Elton in concert, but it was most certainly on my bucket list.  Naturally, heading to the Las Vegas strip seemed like the perfect place to see him!  It didn’t hurt either that while we were there I hit on the roulette wheel and also enjoyed some time at the spa.  Let me just say though…this legend singer, pianist and composer did not disappoint.  He was unforgettable. It was the best show EVER.  Simply the best.

THE WOMEN’S MARCH

If the presidential election of 2016 was my biggest disappointment, then the Women’s March in 2017 was my biggest accomplishment.  Towards the end of January, I marched alongside my sisters and brothers in Nashville, TN, as part of the larger women’s march in Washington D.C.  I felt strong, re-energized, and a part of history.

I wore a pink pussy hat proudly.  I walked next to my mother, men, women, children, friends, neighbors and absolute strangers.  I felt connected to millions of people across our city, state, country and world.  It was a testament to the amazing democracy in which we live.  I felt so proud to be an American and a Woman on that particular day.  2017 was the year I became an activist.  It was the first protest I ever attended, but it won’t be my last. #powertogethertn

DINNER IN SAVANNAH

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ~Anonymous.  Well, I enjoyed my favorite meal of the year (hands down) with my sweetie in Savannah, Georgia at Collins Quarter.  This unique cafe, styled after Melbourne, Australia’s historic Collins street, delivers exquisite cuisine served in a relaxed and casual environment.  While I believe their menu changes seasonally, I had the most delicious fish on a bed of greens.  Jeff had the best paella he’s ever eaten.  The dessert and wine were also fantastic. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting the Hostess City of the South.  While we enjoyed dinner there, I hear they also have a champagne breakfast and delicious lunch as well.

THE PREDS RUN FOR THE STANLEY CUP

“Sports do not build character.  They reveal it.” ~Anonymous  Let me just say up front, I’m not a crazy hockey fan.  However, the Nashville Predators run for the Stanley Cup was a wonderful surprise.  In a time when some encouragement was needed, the Predators provided hope.  They were some ‘good news’ and provided a pick me up for a lot of people (myself included)!  It’s funny how sports can bring people together and make you feel something for your community, city and state that you wouldn’t otherwise feel.  The enthusiasm they brought to our city was unparalleled and extremely special.  While we didn’t win the cup in 2017, I have high hopes for the coming year.  I like it, I love it, I want some more of it.

MY PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS WAS BORN

Around April of this year, I took a leap and started working on my new website, MCB Photography.  It was the first of many steps to opening a new business in 2017.  I visited the Clerks Office to obtain a minimal use activity license (a small business license) and received a federal tax ID number.  I visited the bank and opened a new account and obtained my very own business credit card!  My talented friend Emily Morrow (southern girl studio) has been working diligently on branding my business and creating a new logo for me (to be unveiled very soon).  My friend Tausha (TaushaAnn Photography) was gracious in her words of encouragement and an open book as far as advice goes on starting a photography business. Pixieset photo galleries became a reality this year.  Contracts were created.  I started a new FB page for MCB Photography (you should follow me if you haven’t already)!  It’s still a work in progress for sure.  And sometimes I feel like I’m fumbling through the process, but I know I am learning so much. Thank you to all of the family, friends and new clients who allowed me the opportunity to take your beautiful images this year.  I’m very excited about where this all may lead.

THE ECLIPSE

In August, this amazing thing happened in Nashville.  We were in the path of totality for the solar eclipse.  I watched “The Great American Eclipse” of 2017 from the courthouse lawn with my friends and co-workers. We were given several hours to go outside and just witness history.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.  But with my solar eclipse glasses in hand and my camera in tow, I snapped this image when the total eclipse magically appeared!  I was also blessed to capture this picture (below) for some newlyweds who were witnessing the eclipse for the first time.  This particular couple had just traveled from Chicago to Nashville for the solar eclipse.  They ended up getting hitched at our courthouse just minutes before the big show!

It truly was an amazing event to see live and a spiritual experience on many levels.

MY IMAGE WAS CHOSEN FOR THE SNAP SHOW

SNAP aka the Society of Nashville Artistic Photographers have their annual photography exhibit at the Gordon Jewish Community Center each year.  The group exhibit features 40 images as juried by a local fine art photographer.  I was honored to have one image chosen this year for the show.  This particular photograph is of my neighbors.  It is one of my favorite images from their engagement session.  I entitled the piece: “Dancing with the Heart.”

BEST AFFOGATO IN SEATTLE

What’s an affogato?  I’ll tell you.  It’s the most amazing coffee espresso drink I’ve ever tasted.  I didn’t even know this concoction existed until we visited Seattle.  I first saw it on the menu at the Starbuck’s Tasting room.  I was told it was a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a shot of hot espresso poured on top.  Then later that night at dinner, I saw it on the dessert menu.  That’s when my whole world changed.  I think I had several affogatos over the course of our trip.  I hear they have this awesome drink at Coco’s here in Nashville, but I haven’t confirmed it yet.

WASHINGTON LAVENDAR FARM

I am obsessed with lavender.   I love the smell, the color, the texture and all the beautiful things you can make with it.  So I was thrilled when Jeff made time for a spur of the moment trip to a Washington Lavender Farm before we caught a ferry to Canada.  I’ve never been to a lavender farm.  Realistically, we were probably there for less than an hour, but I loved every minute of it.  I took tons of pictures.  I even stalked some bees on the lavender (which made for a pretty photo).

Of course, I didn’t leave before photographing the cute farmhouse amongst the lavender and visiting the gift shop.  And…I brought home some dried lavender and lovely handmade lavender soaps to Tennessee.

VISITING NORTHWEST LIGHTHOUSES

Explorer | Adventurer | Discoverer  All these words describe my affinity for seeking out new lighthouses with my Love.  We have seen many east and west coast lighthouses, but the northwest lighthouses were also equally amazing.  My two favorites were Fisgard Light near Victoria, B.C. (pictured above) and Point Wilson Light near Port Townsend, WA (pictured below).

Point Wilson was cool because it is in a state park on the ocean in the quaintest little town where an Officer and a Gentleman happened to be filmed.  We got there around sunset and I took so many different perspectives of this same gorgeous lighthouse.  As the sun went down, it even made the windows of the keepers house in this next picture appear haunted!  Cool, huh?

We visited Fisgard Light in the morning hours.  We got to the entrance just as it opened to the public, so it wasn’t quite as crowded.  The beauty of this lighthouse was untouched by all the others.  We climbed all over the rocks and just sat by the water for quite some time just enjoying its picturesque, serene setting.

SNOW AT THE BILTMORE FOR CHRISTMAS

We came to Asheville to see the Biltmore at Christmas and then this happened!  It was such a wonderful surprise!  REALLY, we had no idea it was going to snow.  We ended up getting around 8-9 inches.  It snowed all day and all night long and into the next day.  It was really beautiful and so magical!

I couldn’t stop taking pictures!  By the way, the trick to getting the snow all lit up in your photographs is to use a flash.  To capture the falling snow, you must illuminate the flakes.  I didn’t know this until Asheville. If you are inspired to visit the Biltmore next year, the Candlelight Christmas at Biltmore includes a free winery tasting on the Biltmore Estate and there are at least 55 trees beautifully decorated inside the home.  It is totally worth it even without the snow.  Here is just one more of my favorite photos from our snowy trip to North Carolina!

GARTH

Garth.  Need i say more.  At heart, I am a country girl who loves country music.  Although I haven’t listened to Garth Brooks’ music in a very long time, I knew all the words to almost every song.  I’m so glad my Mom asked me to go to this concert at the last minute.  We had a fabulous time right before Christmas.

‘So don’t you sit upon the shoreline, and say your satisfied.  Choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tide.’

So, so, so thankful for 2017, but cheers to 2018!  Love, MC

Last month I visited one of the most charming southern cities in the United States ~ Savannah, GA.  While there, I was able to see the city in a most intimate way with a company called “Capturing Savannah.” This photography tour was a great way to visit historic areas, parks as well as pay attention to the many beautiful details Savannah has to offer.

With several options to choose from, I went on the tour entitled “Squares of Luxury.”  Pablo was an excellent guide.  His enthusiasm, energy and knowledge was infectious.  The tour size was also small, enabling lots of time for one on one attention.  While the tour was advertised as 50%history and 50%photography, there was definitely more talk about photography than history (which was fine by me).  We enjoyed a nice walk of several squares and historical streets over the course of two hours.

Pablo pointed out details I might have overlooked.  I even learned some tips for capturing portraits of people.  Capturing Savannah was a great way to photograph this city.  Whether you are a beginner, amateur or a professional, I would highly recommend this tour to any photo enthusiast.

Over the next few days, my husband and I also visited some other areas of Savannah including Wormsloe Plantation, Bonaventure Cemetery and Tybee Island.  They were pretty amazing, too!

My weekend in Gatlinburg was amazing!  There were beautiful sunsets, pancakes, hiking, new friends and of course…some photography.

It was a great weekend getaway with the hubby.  We stayed in a lovely cabin on Ski Mountain, called Mountain Splendor (which you can book through Chalet Village if you’re interested, by the way).  On our first night there, we drove to Clingman’s Dome.  Because rain was forecasted for a majority of the weekend and Thursday looked like the best day for a nice sunset, we made our way to the highest point in Tennessee.  It did not disappoint.

As we waited for the sun to set, we met some hikers.  These guys had been hiking the Appalachian Trail for over a month!

The hubby and I ended up giving a couple of them a ride down to Gatlinburg for the night.  It was really interesting hearing their stories.  Rob (pictured left) was from Cincinnati.  His trail name was ‘MauiSuperDogMan’ and he was hiking with a trusted companion, his dog (except through the Smokies because pets are not allowed in the national park).  A veteran and former yoga instructor, Rob was preparing to hike for approximately six months from Georgia to Maine.  Apparently, he was not alone.  There were plenty of like-minded people doing exactly the same thing.

Not surprisingly, there were also lots of photographers at the top of Clingman’s Dome.  We first drove to the parking lot, then steadily walked the paved but steep climb to the top.   However, there were places along the way to sit and rest.  While the hike to the summit was difficult, it was totally worth it!  Here is another, more abstract, photo of the sun before it went down over the mountain.

No trip to Gatlinburg is complete without a stop at the Pancake Pantry.  This is without a doubt my favorite restaurant on the strip and thus our first stop on Friday morning.  Granted, the allure of this place is mostly nostalgic on my part.  But, seriously, they have the best pancakes, too!

Next stop, Santa’s Claus-et where we had to buy an ornament or two.  Finally, we drove into the Arts & Crafts community to check out their beautiful pottery.  This time, I purchased a pretty little vase from Alewine Pottery!

Then it was chill time at the cabin before dinner.

On Saturday we hiked to Alum Cave!  It was a nice day hike and only 4.4 miles round trip.

Of course, I took some photos along the way.  There is a nice babbling brook that follows the first half of the trail.

We barely dodged the rain, but saw some nice flowers along the way.

While the hike was strenuous at times, the truth is at the end of the day I felt a real sense of accomplishment.  There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. ~Beverly Sills

Then the rain finally came.  And it didn’t stop.

So the hubby and I enjoyed a nice dinner and a quiet night in the cabin before heading back home. 😜