moosh in indy.

So I’ve been at this local blogging conference for the last two days. Bunches of bloggers from Indiana hanging out eating cookies. In fact, it’s a lot like BlogHer.

No, wait. It’s nothing like BlogHer.

First of all, a majority of the people here? Dudes.

Second of all? No dancing.

Third? Ever been the only mommyblogger in a room full of not mommybloggers? My guess is that this is how the smelly kid in class feels.  No one really wants to tell me I smell either. No one ever wants to be the one to tell the smelly kid they smell.

Bummer.

The weather here has been AMAZING.

Dear Indiana,

This weather? Freaking fantastic. Thanks bunches.

xoxo-Casey

So is everyone else’s weather delicious or did we steal it all? Is it too hot were you are? Too cold where you are? It’s so perfect here the desire to lie naked on a rock like a lizard is almost overwhelming.

Almost.

Slouching Mom, me and Mocha

Andi, Hedder, Kim, moi, Redneck

Aimee and moi representin’ the Savvy Source (She’s the Denver chick. Iz the Indy chick.)

Bossy, Me, Jess and Liz for Fling it Girl.

Andi, Hedder, Kim, moi, Redneck

$1700 COWgirl boots. EmPHAsis on the COW.

I love my camera. Love it, stroke it, kiss it, hug it, can’t get enough of it.

I sometimes get overwhelmed at how much my camera is capable of. Will I ever be able to do it justice? (This is where some of you sweet people get all “OH BUT CASEY YOU’RE SO GOOD!” and I’m all “THANK YOU! THAT’S SO SWEET!”)

However you must understand I have set my expectations unrealistically high. My mom is an amazing landscape photographer. I grew up watching her take thousands of brilliant images almost effortlessly.

See?

Of all the photos my mom has taken, this one will forever be my favorite.

My best friend is an amazing journalistic photographer. I want to suck them dry of all they know, and someday when I can I will.

But for now, I get frustrated with f stops and ISO and RAW and shutter speed and OH MY WHY DOES THAT LENS COST SO MUCH? But then I have to remember, this camera has only been in my hands for four months.

Cody’s been in my hands for almost eight years and he’s still a mess. (Dear Cody, love you. -Red)

So instead of being bummed about the pictures I didn’t get, I’m going to focus on moments that I did.

Like this one, having lunch with my best friend in San Francisco. She is one of my greatest blessings.

Who else ditched out on the parties early to do cartwheels in their room just because they could?

This one is by far my favorite. Heather, Kim and I ditched out on a session to go take pictures. Instead of asking someone to take a picture for us we found a shiny window to do the job. We were quite the scene, three giggly girls with SLRs lined up taking pictures of a window. People didn’t quite know what to make of us. But we did, and we were happy.

I was happy. The whole trip was one big pinch me high. It’s disappointing that not everyone enjoyed it and feels it necessary to drag out their disappointment and unhappiness. But as I said, it was what you made of it. And to the people who spent it with me, you could not have made it any better for me. Thanks. Thanks to every single person who stopped me to say thank you or hi or good job or nice shoes. To those I didn’t get to meet, I’m doubly bummed. 1,000 women is a lot to meet. Especially when a lot of the time is spent hiding in a corner with nervous bubble gut. (like me! HI!)

If I was a jerk to you, I’m sorry. Chances are I was on my way to a bathroom to, well, you know. I didn’t meet a single person this year that hurt my feelings or that I felt slighted by. Yes, even Sweetney was a doll to me. So please, before you feel like spreading nastiness around the internets about someone who was mean to you, maybe they didn’t mean it, maybe they just had to poo too. Or maybe they lost their favorite nose hair clipping trimmers and were bummed about it at the moment you decided to say hello.

Benefit of the doubt ladies. Benefit of the doubt.

Huh. Well. That was a random post.

Just be nice dammit.

And tell me what you’re working on that gets you overwhelmed too.