• Photography

    1|52: Self Portrait

    PHOTO INFO Nikon D850, 35mm lens 1/20 | f/1.8 | ISO 1250 THE STORY EDITED TO ADD: Second scan was fine. Just a few cysts. Thank you for the prayers and warm thoughts. In about 1/2 an hour I’ll have an ultrasound of my right breast because my mammogram showed an “area of concern.” All through the holidays, there was this little bit of heaviness. What if? I’m already a card carrying {scar bearing} member of the Cancer Survivors Club. I’m good. I don’t need to renew my membership. Anyway, I wanted to capture the anxiety I’m feeling, but none of the images quite captured what I’m feeling. I wanted…

  • About Me,  Fun Stuff,  Photography

    Weekend Getaway: Georgia

    Y’all, I just spent the weekend with my daughter and her girlfriend in Georgia. When I tell you having adult children is a whole different level of momming, I’m not kidding. I love my kids, I love them dearly, but the one thing I’m most proud of is how much I genuinely like them. And, gosh, it makes my momma heart happy that they want to hang out with me. Savannah, Georgia While my daughter drove and Katie kept her company, I napped in the back. Not gonna lie, being able to relax on the road was super nice. I had to get a snap of this poster of The…

  • Photography

    Weekend Getaway: Laurel, Mississippi {Wisteria House}

    If you’ve been following along, I’ve been sharing pictures from a trip The Hubs and I took to Laurel, Mississippi. It was, honestly, as close to a spur of the moment decision you can make when you’re talking about a four-hour drive and a reservation. Meaning, we’ve talked about visiting Laurel since the show started because we’re huge fans of Ben’s and Erin’s, and, suddenly, The Hubs was like “Let’s just go.” He looked up bed and breakfasts in the area and landed on the Wisteria House. Because check-in wasn’t until late afternoon, we decided to drive around and get a feel for the town. As we were driving, I…

  • Photography

    Weekend Getaway: Laurel, Mississippi {Leontyne Price Musical Park}

    A few weekends ago, The Hubs surprised me with a trip to Laurel, Mississippi. I’m a big fan of Home Town with Erin and Ben Napier on HGTV, so I’ve been wanting to go check out their area for a long time. It’s as homey and welcoming as I’d imagined. The people are nice and, seriously, it’s everything I thought it’d be. I took a lot of pictures while I was there, so I’ll be sharing them over the next few days, weeks, I don’t know. I just know I’ll be sharing them. As an added note, I didn’t take any pictures of the renovated homes because it felt intrusive.…

  • Photography

    Weekend Getaway: Laurel, Mississippi {Architecture}

    Last weekend, The Hubs surprised me with a trip to Laurel, Mississippi. Y’all, this was like a dream come true. I have been a fan of Ben’s and Erin’s since the first episode of Home Town. My dream has always been to renovate an old home… You know, add all the modern conveniences but keep the charm. What I like about their renovations is that they incorporate many of the homeowner’s pieces with new items to make everything cozy. That’s how I’d want to do things. You can tell the homeowner’s are walking into their place, versus walking into a perfectly curated home that will be dismantled as soon as…

  • Photography

    Project 365: Week 3

    Yup, I’m late this week. No real reason. Laziness. I guess. But I’m still snapping, so there’s that. 015 It weirds me out when she sleeps with her eyes open. 016 “A squirrel is just a rat with a cuter outfit!” Sarah Jessica Parker 017 The plaque reads: “Masonic Building Built c.1927 Has been placed on the NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORICAL PLACES By the United States Department of the Interior” I have a thing for abandoned buildings. This one is located in downtown Alexandria, LA. 018 Filler pic of a snoring pup because I didn’t shoot anything today. 019 I’m a digger of murals. They tell so much about the…

  • Photography

    Project 365: Week 2

    I can’t believe we’re in week 2 and I haven’t missed a day yet. Not gonna lie, finding inspiration while in quarantine was incredibly hard. Now that I’m out and can get around, I’m hoping to take a few more creative shots. 008 My girls: Lola and Bleu. 009 Because I need something for today… 010 When the kids were little, we used to have Cupcake Day. We would pick random days to go out for gourmet cupcakes. Or, sometimes if they had a bad day, they’d say “Mom, I need Cupcake Day.” Now that they’re all grown and out of the house, we still have Cupcake Day. It’s a…

  • Photography

    Project 365: Week 1

    Hey, y ‘all, hey! How’s your 2023 so far? I started mine with Covid. After a week of quarantine, I’m on the upward swing — I’m so happy. Fortunately, I didn’t have to deal with a fever or anything, but I was extremely tired and achy. I also had stomach issues and light headedness. That part seems to be subsiding faster than the lethargy and achiness. Towards the end of last year, I started thinking very seriously about attempting another 365 project {a photography project where you take a picture every day for a year}. I’ve tried before and failed, but this is a big year for me. I turn…

  • Photography

    My Photography Project: The Wedding

    It is such a happiness when good people get together – and they always do. – Jane Austen Julie and Tom are such a fun couple. From the moment I met them {which was the day of the wedding} until we said our “good nights,” I felt nothing but love and friendship from them and their families. For a little background on our friendship, Julie is a friend of a high school friend that I also became friends with… I’m not even sure how long ago, but it has been years. When she announced that she was getting married, our mutual friend and I decided to attend the wedding. My…

  • Photography

    8.52 | Eye Level View

    As the blogger and photographer behind Living Outside the Stacks, I independently select and write about stuff I love and things I think you’ll enjoy too. Living Outside the Stacks has affiliate and advertising partnerships so I get revenue from sharing this content and from your purchase. Thank you for your support. THE STORY Don’t fall for it. Lola is totally lying. We were eating dinner and she {and her little friend, Bleu} were begging for our food. So behind bars they went. Lola’s just a little better at the pathetics than Bleu is. ABOUT THE 52 WEEK PROJECT The prompts for the 52 Week Project: 2022 Edition are provided…