I made a promise to myself that in 2019, I’d share more of myself and what makes me “me” with all of you. If you know me personally, you’ll know I certainly have no issue being “me” – I strongly believe that someone should never have to hide who they are or change the way they act to appeal to other people. I have no issue owning the fact that from time to time, I do blast Lionel Richie in my car – make fun all you want, but you know Hello is a great song! So now that I’ve shared that – my undying love for Lionel Richie, I’ll share a few tidbits with you guys.
- I have a degree in costume design for theatre and dance, but I hate dressing up for Halloween and I’m horrible at coming up with fun costumes.
- I love the beach but not the sun – I’m the pale girl in the bikini and gigantic sunhat and glasses under a huge umbrella. Preferably with a margarita in one hand and a bowl of homemade guacamole and chips in the other. Extra points for a bag of sour patch kids on the side.
- All of my children have four legs, so don’t be confused when I talk about “my kids”. Besides my horse Ollie, I have two cats named Fitz and Daisy Mae. They’re named after The Great Gatsby, so you know where my head was at in 2002 when I adopted them.
- I own my heart horse, a 19 year old flea bitten grey Arabian gelding named Ollie – he’s the love of my life, and yes, my husband is okay with me saying that.
- Speaking of husband – his name is Gus and he’s a theoretical physicist who studies polymers and has begrudgingly come to adore Ollie almost as much as I do. Almost.
- I grew up in southern California and Santa Barbara (UCSB! Go Gauchos!!) and I miss it terribly but I think New Jersey is a pretty wonderful place to live, and far more beautiful than most people give it credit for.
- I love seeing and exploring new places but I absolutely hate the travel process – I get motion sickness just thinking about it!
- I didn’t see falling snow until I was 26 years old. The first time I saw snowflakes actually coming down out of the sky was pretty dang magical.
- One of the things I love most about my job is connecting with my amazing clients. You don’t really know what it’s like to love a horse until you actually love a horse – there’s nothing like it in the world, no other relationship that can really compare. You guys understand this – you get it – and being able to connect with you all on that level is really, really special.
Like many photographers, I do NOT love being in front of the camera, but every now and then I’ll put on a dress and smile. I generally prefer to be makeup-free and in barn clothes, but I clean up okay! So here are a few of Ollie and I from last summer.
In keeping with my promise to myself, I’ll share more personal tidbits here and there throughout the year with you guys. I think this is a good start – and if you’ve read this all the way through then you should know that bringing me sour patch kids will win me over FOR LIFE.
photos by Jamie Baldanza
