This Photographer's Life

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“Beacham Series” Party Tomorrow Night + Catch Up!

blayne — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 19:50:08 +0000

I’m sorry ok. I know I have been gone forever. If it makes you feel any better, the latest issue of “The Beacham Series” is finished! Thank God. It is a massive amount of work for three people to do… but Laura and Rod and I managed to finish it up and are convinced it is “the best one ever” (quoting Glennis). Tomorrow night is “The Beacham Series” party, but before we go into that, lets play a quick game of catch up. Here’s what’s happened in the past month…

Glennis and I went to the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World conference in Orlando. According to beacham.com, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (www.LeadingRE.com) is the largest network of top independent local and regional brand-name brokerage firms in the residential sector of real estate. The 550 firms affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® are represented by 4,600 offices and 140,000 associates in more than 30 countries worldwide. The organization’s leadership is demonstrated by the fact that its affiliates comprise 15 of the top 25 real estate companies in the country. Collectively, LeadingRE affiliates produced nearly 800,000 home sales valued at $225 billion in the U.S. in 2010. In addition, LeadingRE locally-branded affiliates hold the Number One position in sales in 40% of the top 96 markets in the U.S., more than any national franchise organizations. For complete information on LeadingRE statistics, visit http://stats.leadingre.com/. <– BIG DEAL.

We won first place in the Property Brand Advertising category of the marketing contest!

We also got second place in the “New Media” category… so many thanks to all of you for reading this blog… Thank you! Thank you!

Glennis and I worked the whole time, but we took a few minutes to stick our feet in the pool…

and celebrate our wins with a Miami Vice.

Jimmy and Charlotte were very proud of us!

Once we got back I went straight into picking a cover for “The Beacham Series.”

Rod and Laura and I went over to Janey Lowe’s listing at 94 Peachtree Way and started scouting shots.

We loved this porch shot…

We also loved this picture going into the family room. Isn’t that archway pretty?

Here is Rod setting up for a shot through the front door.

There I am holding the reflector.

After we picked the cover we had to get the ad designed for the WINNER OF THE AD SPACE COMPETITION: Calligraphy by Kristen Flournoy Hay

We were thrilled that she won, and we love her ad, don’t you?

After the ad was ready, we sent the magazine out to Tucker Castleberry to get printed.

That was a cause for celebration at Local Three!

I spent last week at Tucker Castleberry making sure all the colors were right.

The magazine looked amazing… So I left it in Kent’s capable hands and went to Palm Beach with my love to see his family.

We had such a nice time, and I came back refreshed and ready for “The Beacham Series” party tomorrow from 5:30 to 8 PM.

The party is at Janey Lowe’s listing on 94 Peachtree Way. The house is such a treat. According to Janey’s remarks: Stunning to the studs renovation & restoration of this 1900 era home designed by Frank Neely & Davey Construction. Photographed & published nationally. Sweeping front lawn leads to porch with redwood floors. Bright family kitchen with walnut island, highest end appliances, 2 dishwashers, 2 refrigerators, hand-painted custom cabinetry, walk-in pantry, bfast area, all opening to a fireside den. Handsome study w/exquisite hand stained built-ins& brass lighting. Mstr bdrm suite with its own sitting area, dual walk-in-closets, 3 large other bedrooms. Herringbone brick patio & fireplace. 2 car garage w/full guest house.

Here is the amazing news: this house is already under contract! So, this really is your last chance to see it!

Here are a few photos just to get you in the mood to see an amazing house.

I hope to see you all tomorrow night! Email me if you have any questions. email hidden; JavaScript is required

4. Gramercy Fine Linens & Furnishings

Ad Contest Finalists!! Vote away!

blayne — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:18:07 +0000

I am amazed by the talent and diversity of the group of finalists competing for a free ad in “The Beacham Series” this year! We have a taco truck, artists, calligraphers, home goods, a development in Panama, a non profit, builders, architects, designers and a children’s clothing line! This contest is my favorite thing we do. I love being able to learn so much about so many companies, and I love the competitive spirit of everyone voting for their favorites. I can’t wait to watch the competition unfold.

….

These amazing companies/individuals are competing for a free ad in “The Beacham Series.”

To vote for your favorite, please “like” Beacham & Company, REALTORS on Facebook and write your vote on the wall.

If you do not have Facebook, you can leave a comment here and tell me your vote!

Voting ends Wednesday afternoon (3-28) at 12 PM.

And now for the finalists…

1. Portraits by Mary Sheats

Mary Sheats was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1989 and discovered her passion for art at an early age. Her first commissioned painting was at the age of 14 and since then, her artistic skills and list of clients have continued to grow. Her summers were spent painting landscapes at the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Chelsea, England attending the London Art Institute, and taking miscellaneous art classes around Atlanta. She attended Parson’s School of Design in New York the summer after her junior year of college and returned to NYC this past summer as an intern for internationally known designer, Madelin Weinrib.

2. Calligraphy by Kristen Flournoy Hay

Calligraphy by Kristen Flournoy Hay specializes in creating one of a kind, custom wedding invitations, announcements, monograms and stationery (see the attached photo of calligraphy in the bluebonnets). Each piece is intricately designed to your specifications and scribed by Kristen with precision and care on exquisite papers. With almost twenty years of calligraphic experience, your finished product is truly a unique work of art that will bring just the right touch of elegance to your wedding or special occasion. In addition to calligraphy, Kristen offers hand-painted watercolor roses to accent your design. Custom paper and ribbon choices are also offered to make your pieces fabulous. Kristen is a member the International Association of Master Penman, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH) and has studied under multiple master penman and white house calligraphers. Thank you for considering Calligraphy By Kristen Flournoy Hay. Please contact Kristen by phone at (936)-875-5404 or by email at email hidden; JavaScript is required. Samples can be mailed to you or you can view a sampling of my portfolio at http://gallery.me.com/kyledhay/100665 .

3. Tim Fox Photography

Included, I’ve given a picture that best describes my most current collection of portraits. First and foremost I’m a portrait photographer and my target demographic is young adults, young professionals, and families with children in middle to high school. As well, I do some swimwear photography for Hooters, but my guess that doesn’t always coincide with the family realty market. My approach to client relations and prompt digital services make me a unique candidate for a person looking to get a great portrait without a lot of hassle. All though young in my career and business, I’m determined and ready to trail-blaze a new image of the modern digital photographer.

http://timfoxphotography.com/ 404-428-3474

Southern style meets urban flair at Gramercy Fine Linens & Furnishings. Nestled in the heart of Buckhead, Gramercy combines luxury and comfort with effortless style for the home, offering custom bedding, bath and tabletop accessories along with personalized in-house monogramming. Owners Cam Reynolds and Jenny Taubel have won over the hearts and homes of many as a premier customer service-focused linen boutique. From choosing the perfect gift to deciding on a monogram style, thread color and placement, their expertise ensures each customer has a highly–personalized and memorable experience.

5. Kalu Yala

Kalu Yala is a community being built for the largest social movement in history: Social Entrepreneurship. It is the first tropical destination to embody the very ethos of how we think, communicate, do business, connect, and effect change in the 21st century. Leaders in real estate are designing a beautiful new town for a diverse and growing group of partners who believe in a better way to live for themselves and the world.

6. J Ryan Duffey Design

Ryan Duffey is a young design professional ever-eager to engage the world of building design. Just this month, Ryan opened the doors to J Ryan Duffey Design, a design company committed to noble structures made lasting by design and choice of materials. J Ryan Duffey Design is a complementary fit to the interested readers of the Beacham Series magazine because they both share in their love for great homes. Winning the Ad-Space is the perfect opportunity for this young company to gain exposure to the discerning clients of Beacham Realty.

7. Dorothy O’Connor

As a fine art photographer in Atlanta, Georgia, I offer the unique service of photographing wedding dresses, turning a beloved keepsake into a piece of art. The resulting photograph not only adds beauty in a decorative sense but also brings a deeply personal touch to the artwork in a home. My clients are often newly married couples just starting their lives together, who have recently moved into a new home or are looking to purchase one. Wedding dresses symbolize new beginnings, commitment, and love, all ingredients essential in finding a new home. For more established couples, perhaps looking for their second or third home, a wedding dress portrait is a renewal of this commitment and a reminder of their first new beginning.

8. Trewin Homes

I would like to take a moment and introduce our company to you because I honestly believe that we are one of the most unique, up and coming, custom homebuilding firms operating in the Atlanta market today. Even though we are only two years old, we have the strength and substance of the most established custom builders in the field. You see, we embody the passion and exuberance of a young start-up enterprise with the combined knowledge base and experience of a seasoned, veteran organization. Not only do Ken and I each have around 20 years of homebuilding experience a piece, but, Trewin Homes is a sister company of Winter Construction, who is a 33 year old commercial construction company and one of the largest in the southeast. This is incredibly reassuring to clients of a certain caliper who are evaluating the selection of their contractor based off of criteria such as the magnitude of their financial stability, the thoroughness of their accounting practices, the processes and procedures that are implemented in the field to deliver a top quality product, and the professional level of the individuals executing the details. I am exceedingly impressed with the organizational make-up of our group in knowing that, on any given day, Ken has access to the top executives of a $200 Million dollar a year operation. Another quality to note is that the main focus upon establishing Trewin Homes from the very beginning was to position ourselves to work with elite architectural firms and projects in Atlanta. Apart from all of that though, we are out there fighting each and every day to earn the trust of architects, landscape architects, designers, and most importantly our current and future clients. We fully recognize that the referral of such respected individuals is the only source of our potential success. For Trewin Homes to truly become the pre-eminent Atlanta homebuilding firm that we long for, we understand that this can only be achieved one relationship at a time. We also realize though that, despite all of the substance that supports our organization, we have the task ahead of us to establish ourselves as both capable and equipped to be trusted with such valuable opportunities. In a sense, we are blessed to be starting from such a strong vantage point, yet; on the other hand, we are challenged because we are new to the market. For this reason, an ad in a publication such as “The Series” would be monumental in solidifying the credibility of our company. Thank you for the opportunity to enter such an exceptional contest.

9. Tracery Interiors

Attached is a photo (by the very talented Jean Allsopp) of a home we designed at Lake Martin a few years ago. It’s been published in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, Birmingham Home & Garden and its kitchen was in Food & Wine. It’s definitely our most asked about/talked about/blogged/Pinterest-ed project to date! I think it’s a great example of the kind of work we do at Tracery. We strive to create homes that are comfortable, livable and of course beautiful. And we always want our projects to reflect the unique lifestyle and personality of the people who enjoy our work every day. We practice all over the country on many different kinds of projects, but regardless of the size, scope or location of our work—we always try to be true to these principles.

I think Tracery would be a great fit for an ad in the Beacham Series because we do have a national presence. Our clients also appreciate quality and beauty—most certainly things exemplified in the types of properties marketed by Beacham & Co. Besides our design work, we also maintain two retail shops—one in Mountain Brook, Alabama and one in Rosemary Beach, Florida. Many of our shoppers (and a few of our clients) call Atlanta home, and we are always interested in reaching out further to the Atlanta-area market.

10. McCall Wilder Couture

McCall Wilder Couture for Children is Atlanta’s only luxury retailer specializing in pure, sustainable, hand-embroidered clothing for children. New residents are delighted when they discover us since we are one of only a few U.S. companies remaining who are creating and domestically producing a children’s and tween line with only the finest fabrics and hand stitched details! We offer our hand-embroidery and hand-monogramming on our entire custom and boutique line, including our organic Private Label layette and crib collection, as well as our casual and special occasion attire, for sizes 0 to 16. Of special interest to Beacham may be our extensive work with portrait brokers and artists nationwide to help create the perfect custom ensembles for children to wear in their portraits. Many of our outfits can be seen in oil, charcoal and pastel portraits in fine homes around Atlanta and in many Beacham listings!

11. Tex’s Tacos

Affectionately dubbed the ‘Antonio Banderas’ of food trucks, Tex’s Tacos is nothing short of suavé – a fully equipped kitchen & restaurant on wheels. Serving-up a delicious array of ‘Nueva Texicana’ eats with style and grace, we keep the good times rolling…literally. Spice up your day and embark on a friendly adventure to our taco trough. What’s there not to love about eating deliciously fresh tacos, quesadillas, & lime fries out of a truck!?!?

When the first periwinkle blue Beacham & Company signs went in the ground during the fall of 2006, the Buckhead community was abuzz. Not only had Beacham developed an elegant and regal logo, but the new “pops of blue” in front lawns around Buckhead instantly branded the new real estate firm and quickly became as critical to the company image as the Beacham logo itself.

Like Beacham & Company, Tex’s Tacos is on a never-ending quest for perfection. The meticulous thinking reflected in the above-referenced quotation is a marvelous display of your company’s dedication towards greatness. Mastering the minutia can turn the ordinary into extraordinary. For uncompromising quality and service to be achieved, excellence must be sought in the most peripheral of peripheries. Like Beacham & Company, our motivation to create greatness in all that we do makes us the best at what we do.

12. Melissa Payne Baker

As an Atlanta based artist providing art work to clients from Dallas, Texas to Sea Island, Georgia I believe my work would be a great fit for The Beacham Series. A home is not complete without art and the clients of Beacham Realtors are looking to fill the home they are about to purchase with beautiful accessories, furniture and art. My work touches a large range of people and I believe it would strike the attention of all readers and compliment such a lovely magazine.

13. Visiting Nurse Health System

“Visiting Nurse provides the finest healthcare in some of the finest homes in Atlanta.

As Georgia’s largest nonprofit provider of healthcare at home, Visiting Nurse delivers nursing, rehabilitation, primary care and hospice services to 25,000 patients and their families annually and operates the extraordinary Hospice Atlanta Center in Buckhead.”

Now vote!

Remember, go to the Beacham & Company Facebook Page… “Like” the page, and write your vote on the wall!

Voting ends Wednesday afternoon (3-28) at 12 PM.

Good Luck!

If you do not have Facebook you can vote by leaving a comment here!

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Ski Trip Results (!!!) + Ad space deadline is THURSDAY

blayne — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:41:13 +0000

Calm down. I’m going to tell you about how my little “white lie” turned out on the trip.

That’s me. The one on the snow. I was “resting my legs.” ha.

It turns out I had not over-exaggerated Jimmy’s skiing ability in my head. He actually was that good. Show off

Thank God I brought Ben along so I could let them do their own thing and ski at my own pace.

See? Two peas on a Pod.

We all skied together a little bit as well. It went much better than I expected. Even though my legs were on fire and I kept making bargins such as “If I ever get down this mountain I’ll never lie again,” (hmmmm) I did excel at certain parts of the mountain…

As expected, I really rocked the chairlift part of skiing. I would sit back and pretend like I didn’t care at all if we put the bar down, but as soon as we did I would throw my skis up there… so thankful for just a few minutes of relief. As the boys discussed the next runs we would take, I secretly hoped someone getting off at the top would fall just to make the ride a little bit longer.

On the bright side, my legs and butt did get a nice workout, which is why I felt fine about doing this…

Apparently beer tastes better if you feel like you earned it.

The only slight issue I had was when I got too tired/frustrated/unable to ski and jimmy had to carry my skis so I could take a break. I’m not sure my brother will ever let me live it down, but hey, if that’s the worst thing that happened I’ll consider it a success.

Other successes?

Shots of rumple minze at the Village Cafe.

Taking mom to the Mangy Moose.

Tons of great meals in Jackson Hole… and of course tons of hot tub time at the Four Seasons.

I’m a pretty lucky girl.

Speaking of being lucky (see that segue there) , you too could be lucky IF you enter our contest to win a FREE AD in the Beacham Series.

Come on, don’t make me beg. Right now I only have 3 entries, so if you enter you have a GREAT chance of winning. PLEASE PLEASE PELASE.

The deadline is Tomorrow… Thursday, at midnight. Please please please. Don’t make me look like a loser (who has to get someone to carry her skis).

Fun things coming up on This Photographer’s Life:

1. I’m giving away two FREE autographed copies of Historical Concept’s new book “Coming Home.”

2. We will have to chose a winner of the free ad!!! yea!!!

3. We have listed a beautiful new modern house (my favorite)

4. We need to ramp up to the next Beacham Series party, so that’s always fun.

Tons of good stuff on the horizon, so stay tuned!!!

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Win a free Ad in “The Beacham Series” — Worth $1250!!

blayne — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:10:37 +0000

It’s that time again! “The Beacham Series” magazine is in full production mode for our Spring 2011 issue, which promises to be the best ever!

“The Beacham Series” showcases the finest homes for sale in Atlanta real estate. This award-winning publication has a distribution of 21,000, including direct mail delivery to the most affluent households in Atlanta real estate as well as more than 1,500 luxury real estate brokerages in 63 countries.

With every magazine we do, we offer one lucky blog reader the chance to win an ad in “The Beacham Series.” The first ad went to the very talented Tim Hagan.

This is a picture of his ad as it was being proofed out at the printer…

And here he is talking to me at “The Beacham Series” release party after the magazine came out…

The next ad went to Nancy Duffey of Scout for the Home.

I asked Nancy how she felt about winning the ad, and she said, “It was great being a new store and not having a huge advertising budget to be able to win such a big ad. Not only do you get an ad, but you get your name out there with the contest, and it gets people involved and excited about each store.”

The third ad went to Ginger Brewton Interiors:

And who could forget Katie Oblinger’s big win and ad in the last magazine?

YOU could be the next person to win a free ad in “The Beacham Series.”

Here is the package I am offering…

1. A Free quarter page ad in the next issue of “The Beacham Series” that either you can provide, or we can make for you.

2. Promotion of your company through this blog, www.thisphotographerslife.com with a blog post about who you are and what you do.

3. An entry on the Beacham & Company Facebook Page

4. An invitation for you and your friends to the Magazine release party

5. 15 free magazines to distribute to your clients.

Isn’t that a great deal?

To look through our latest virtual magazine, Click here.

We sell ads for the magazine. Here are some examples of past ads that have run in the “Series.”

As you can see, the advertisers come for all different industries. Many are national companies.

Here is how to enter:

Find ONE picture that best sums up your business or service that you would like to use in an ad. If you do not have a photo you can also submit your logo. Send me an email at email hidden; JavaScript is required. In that email include: the photograph, a paragraph about why your company would be a good fit for the magazine and all of your company’s information, (name, phone number, address, website …).

Questions you might have:

Do I have to be from Atlanta? No! We ship magazines around the world, so your company can be from anywhere!

Does it matter what field I’m in? Not necessarily…. we are looking for luxury, and we tend to have advertisers that offer some sort of home service, but we are not limiting the contest to that… We welcome all companies.

DEADLINE: This contest will end Thursday, March 22nd at midnight.

I will get Beacham & Company agents to narrow it down to the finalists. We will put the finalist on the blog, and then the voting can begin! (To see an example of finalists and how the voting process works, click here)

This is such an amazing opportunity to get your name out there, and I can’t wait to start getting entries!

Again, my e-mail address is email hidden; JavaScript is required

Thanks everybody!

Jackson Hole and my big fat lie.

blayne — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 23:13:47 +0000

Jimmy, my mom, my brother and I are going to Jackson Hole…

You would think I would be thrilled.

It’s obviously beautiful there, and with our tropical winter in GA this year, I have been craving snow.

I’ve actually been to Jackson Hole. When I was 18 my dad and I went on a Father/Daughter photo trip out West, and it was our first stop. My dad is a really amazing photographer, and this trip together was my high school graduation present. It was such a nice time to spend with my dad doing what we love.

See, here I am petting a horse (I’m secretly terrified of horses) and holding a camera.

Blayne in front of a mountain.

I wonder what I was taking there?

I remember this was the first place we went when we got into Jackson Hole. We were looking for some sort of souvenir or something. I think maybe my dad got a hat?

One of the coolest things we did was to going paragliding.

I took this photo right after we were in the air. I wish I had more photos of that. It was amazing, and one of the most adventurous things I’ve ever done.

My dad and I had such a nice time.

I’m sure you are thinking, “Ok, so what’s the problem?” Well, here we go.

Jimmy is really great at skiing. He went to college in Colorado and worked in Jackson Hole. He’s skied his whole life.

In my mind he looks like this…

I have been skiing since I was about 9…. but, in my brother’s words, “I’m just not very athletic.”

When I am going down the mountain, it looks something like this…

Which is fine when you’re with your family, but not fine when you’ve led your boyfriend to believe you’re “a skier.”

Eager to impress Jimmy, on our first date I totally talked up my abilities. The conversation went something like this:

Jimmy: “Oh yea, I lived in Jackson Hole… I really try to go out there 3-4 times a season.”

Me: “I’ve been to Jackson Hole. Great skiing there” <— more of a white lie… wait for it….

Jimmy: “Oh, you ski?”

Me: “I LOVE skiing! My family and I go all the time. We really love Aspen, but last time we went to Deer Valley because my brother was working there.” (I am CRINGING that those words actually came out of my mouth… but still only a half lie… the LOVE part.)

Jimmy: “Oh cool. Are you good at skiing?”

Me: “For sure. I’ve been skiing since I was little, and I just can’t wait to get out there every Winter. You can’t keep me off the slopes.” <—– TOTAL and complete LIE.

Whoops.

Well, here we are on the cusp of our trip, and I’ve begun my backpedaling.

Phrases such as,”Remember how I said I was good at skiing? Well, I MAY have slightly exaggerated my abilities,” and “When we go to Aspen, I don’t exactly ski AJAX… I’m more of a Snowmass/Buttermilk kind of girl,” have been spilling out like beans.

Luckily I have been talking up my other abilities, such as:

Sandwich eating and cappuccino drinking (Possibly the worst picture ever taken of Kate and me —> also hysterical.)

Drinking beer after a “hard day on the mountain”

Getting on and off the lift (I have this down to a science)

Photographing my friends and family during lunch breaks

Hot tubbing

Going out to eat

and snowmobiling.

I am pretty much an expert at all the parts of skiing that don’t actually involve skiing.

Hopefully Jimmy still loves me when we get back…

Wish me luck.

4. By putting your dreams out there, people help you achieve them… i.e. getting published in “Coming Home” from Historical Concepts.

Thinking of starting a blog? Why you should.

blayne — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:50:42 +0000

Having a blog is awesome.

why?

1. You meet really cool people… it’s kind of like internet dating… for friends. That’s how I met Holly from Things That Inspire. (far left)

2. People care about you and what you’re doing, which is always nice and makes you feel special. —> who else would sit still as I talked all about my fun Valentines?

3. People present you with unique opportunities…. i.e. a free photo shoot with the love of my life via acclaimed photographer Katie Oblinger.

5. Sometimes people see houses, love them, and buy them… i.e. this post.

I recently had 3 amazing things happen to me that reminded me of why having a blog is “The Bomb” (too soon to be retro? Who knows?).

1. A few weeks ago I got an email from a blog reader asking for help listing his home… he wanted to be in The Beacham Series (!??!) I could help with that!

His home is in Druid Hills, so I suggested he work with Erin Yabroudy. Erin has a great new blog about things going on in Atlanta. Read it.

Erin got the listing, and last week I went to photograph 621 Ridgecrest Road.

I was so excited when I drove up! What a great house!

I was thinking I might buy it myself if I had not JUST finished my own house.

Isn’t it great? I am so excited the owner decided to list with us. I really hope someone buys this house, so I can do a post about another success story! PLEASE!

2. Last week one of my favorite listings, which I wrote about here, was featured on Cote de Texas! I love Joni and was thrilled she wrote about the home… She’s one of the best bloggers in the country!

3. Today my friend Holly, of Things That Inspire, featured Glennis Beacham’s amazing French Home on Habersham. Architect Duane Stone. Interiors Peggy Stone. I am so flattered that Holly featured the home… she is also one of the best bloggers in the country and probably THE best in Atlanta.

And that, my friends, is why blogging is awesome! Any questions?

Oh wait, I have one… well, two.

A few months ago I asked you guys something. Do you come here to read about my life, or do you come here to see pictures of houses? Well, I heard you. Less Blayne, more Houses. Since then I have worked really hard to write a lot more about houses and a lot less about me. I wanted to know, how am I doing? New Poll Time!!

Take Our Poll

And while I have your attention, I am very curious about where you readers come from, so please answer
Take Our Poll

Thanks for everything lovies!

Happy Tuesday!

p.s. Jimmy and I start personal training tonight… all this love/eating has not been great for either of us. :)

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My Photographs Published in Historical Concept’s New Book, Coming Home

blayne — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 22:07:15 +0000

This is a dream of mine that’s been in the making for years. In this 2010 post I wrote about how I wanted to photograph an architect’s work for their book. A few months later Historical Concepts contacted me about shooting one of their homes in Pine Mountain, GA. I love Historical Concepts. They do an amazing job on each of their homes, and I was thrilled to work with them.

Early one Saturday morning in 2010 I took off for the shoot. Here are the photos that I took:

I delivered the photos to Historical Concepts and really did not think too much more about it.

In September of 2011 I got some mail from them.

I jumped up and down and ran around and waved the paper in Jimmy’s face. Finally! A dream realized.

Then I waited… and last week I got something in the mail.

It said it was from Historical Concepts. What ever could it be?

Isn’t that packaging beautiful?

No no no… Thank you for LETTING me be part of Coming Home!

There it was!

Signed and everything!

Finally I found my house.

Thank you so much for making one of my dreams come true! Coming Home is a beautiful book and could be on every coffee table around Atlanta/THE WORLD!! Maybe I can convince them to let me give one away here! You can order yours on their website …but the book hits shelves TOMORROW!!!!

THANK YOU AGAIN!!! Thank you!

To view more work, please visit her blog.

Mary Sheats: House Drawings

blayne — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 22:13:03 +0000

Mary Sheats is a very talented artist here in Atlanta. She is the niece of one of our top agents, Linda Williams.

I first saw Mary’s art when I shot the Ronald McDonald House Tour of Homes last year. I was amazed by her talent. Aren’t those drawings beautiful?

Linda Williams showed us Mary’s blog a few months ago in sales meeting. Mary has a great blog where she displays her art.

I asked her if I minded if I featured her work on my blog because I thought you guys would be really interested. Wouldn’t it be great to have a drawing of you home? If wouldn’t it be a great gift?

She pays such amazing attention to detail…

and she’s beautiful!

Here is a little bit about her:

And here are a few of her pieces:

17 x 13. Pastels, watercolor, colored pencils, and pen and ink. This is a house right off of Lordians in Atlanta. It was done for a friend of a friend and given to her mother as a surprise Christmas present.

12 x 16. Acrylic, watercolor, colored pencil, pen and ink. This is a barn located in north Ga.

18 x 13. Charcoal, pen and ink, graphite. The Maxwell’s beautiful home on Valley Rd in Buckhead.

20 x 16. Watercolor, acrylic, colored pencil, pen and ink. The family that lives in this Wood Valley Rd home contacted me because their daughter went to my art camp a few years ago.

1- 17 x 13- charcoal, pen and ink. This is another house on Wood Valley road, done for an old Lovett friend.

Aren’t those incredible? To contact Mary for your own drawing, please email her at marysheats.gmail.com.

REMINDER:

Please enter our contest to win A FREE NIGHT at the FOUR SEASONS ATLANTA!!!

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