additional tune-age

i just jumped on the nicki minaj train after watching her on snl last night.  i officially love her for 3 reasons.

   1.  she is openly weird.  all you little closet freaks out there just need to be real.  real and weird.

   2.  ghetto bootay.

   3.  her music is hot, enough said.

oh heyyy, i just realized my blog is called ashley schulz photo.  huh.  well, what were you expecting?  ..photos?  perhaps my next post will include some of those.  ;)

one last

baby, there's a shark in the waterrrr!
..kay, i have to go to sleep.  sheesh.

i'm a music junkie

my silly (sister-in-law) introduced me to gin wigmore.  if you haven't met her sound, let me pass on the favour and introduce you..

comme des enfants

tonight doesn't feel like an editing night or a blogging night.  tonight doesn't feel like a time to do anything night.  but listen to some sweet sweet skull candy, that is.

my mama taught me to share.  so check it!

ps.  i have no idea what's she saying but i know i'm in love with her voice.
pps.  you're welcome.

the 'naire

after much debate, i've decided to create a questionnaire for my clients.  originally i thought, 'naw.  i talk, i listen, i don't need such a formal vice to get to know people.'  but after more consideration, i've realized that maybe a 'formal' questionnaire may serve a greater purpose.  a questionnaire can hang onto the tiny yet meaningful thoughts that could perhaps get lost in the hustle and bustle during a photo shoot.  it can assist me in getting to know my clients that much more; in developing a trusting relationship which i feel, will in turn develop more powerful, emotional images.  this is my newest theory anyway.

so i thought i'd share what i've come up with for my oh-so-formal questionnaire (baha, it's not formal, not at all).  aand, i thought i'd even answer them from my perspective just so you can get to know me that much better.  be warned, some of my answers got much more in depth and lengthy than i thought they were going to and although that may be annoying for you to read, if you are ever the responder to my 'naire (questionnaire is just becoming too long of a word), please please feel urged to go on and on.  i'd love to hear all about your idiosyncrasies!

these are the questions on the 'naire  that have made the cut so far..

1.  why is your favourite colour your favourite colour?  (please do not tell me what your favourite colour is; i enjoy guessing games.)

because it allows other colours to make a bold statement off of it yet contains it's own power.  because it is a clean, minimal, un-cluttered, freshness that makes me want to close my eyes and inhale the air deeply.

2.  when you and your fiance have a free day to do whatever you like, what do you do?  (details throughout your day, please!)

we usually start off with a big breakfast.  and when i say we, i mean travis cooks, i eat.  (this always include a piece of whole wheat toast with pb, fried eggs - sunny side up and mint tea.  sometimes there'll be a couple pieces of free-range bacon but it really just depends when i went grocery shopping last.)  then we eat in bed, snuggle and lie together until we feel like actually getting up.  then i see the mess in the kitchen and cleancleanclean while travis waits patiently, usually sitting at the kitchen table skimming real estate or craigslist.  then we leash up soda (so painful not to be able to say "and slurpee" with that.. sigh).  as soon as she sees her little pink leash and jacket she twirls around and let's out some strange yodels as she makes her way to the front door where she scratches incessantly at the door knob.  it's always a struggle to get her to calm down so i can actually get her ready.  then we head out somewhere outside.  maybe the river, slessy, island 22, peg leg, where ever we feel.  then we just explore.  walk around, take pictures, make up weird stories, reminisce.. only leaving once the sun starts to go down.  if we're going all out we'll head to the sushi place right by our house (best sushi EVER).  we always order the same thing: dynamite roll, yam tempura roll, philadelphia roll, avocado roll.  then we pick up some $7 wine or a six pack of sol and rent a movie, always a comedy.  then we end the night back in bed, snuggled, laughing, kissing.  we've done this day at least a million times.

3.  if you won 60 mil. in the lotto, what would be the very first thing you and your fiance would do?

africa.  hands down.  we would travel and live in africa.  see the pyramids, go on a safari, meet our sponsor children in ethiopia and tanzania, do an internship at a chimpanzee conservation and wildlife sanctuary, volunteer with the world food programme, take one billion pictures. 

4.  what would be the very second thing you and your fiance would do?

open a rescue and rehabilitation centre for 'last chance' dogs; street dogs from third world countries and shelter dogs scheduled to be euthanized.

5.  what are five things you love about your fiance?

how calm and sturdy he always is and i can always rely on him to be.

his infectious, boisterous laugh.

how he's not afraid to hug and kiss and talk in a high pitched voice to our dog in front of anyone.  

how amazingly creative his mind is.  

his cute little bum.

6.  what is something unique or strange or absolutely crazy about the two of you together that contributes to making you guys, 'you guys'?

we talk to our animals like they are real people.  then we talk in different voices, pretending to be them and what they would say back.  for instance..

travis comes home from work to soda shaking and yelping in excitement.

travis:  "oh hi soda!!  hello little girl!!!  hihihi!!!  it's so good to see you!"

soda jumps on travis and squeals.

travis narrates for soda:  "hi dad!!  i missed you!  where have you been?!  will you take me to go potties?"

shamefully, i admit that i do this too.  we do this.  together.  it used to be funny, now it's normal.

7.  how did you meet?  (remember, i love dirty deets!)

'nexopia' or 'enternexus' in it's earlier days.  we were 17; i was [defect] and he was T-rav.  our nexopia talks led to late night, hours-long msn chats.  i don't think we ever planned on actually meeting but we did.. by accident.  through nexopia, i had also rekindled an old childhood friendship with a boy we'll call peter.  we used to play together when we were little.  i hadn't seen peter in ages so we decided to hang out.  my brother dropped me off at peter's house, unbeknownst to me, travis was friends with peter through summers together at camp qwanoes.  also unbeknownst to me, travis was THERE.  as i stepped out of my brother's old honda civic, i looked up to the most gorgeous skater boy in the drive way.  travis smiled his big toothy smile and said, "hey" all cool-like.  i swooned.  he looked familiar but i didn't realize until we were all hanging out in the living room afterwards, that he was the boy i'd spent hours and hours talking to!  awkwaaard.  long story short, it ended up that peter liked me and travis liked me.  so being good friends, they made a pact not to pursue me which they let me know about.  i was crushed.  after not talking to travis for a few days, i realized i missed him and couldn't let him go that easily.  so travis agreed to hang out as just friends.  but we have never been able to be "just friends" and the pact was broken with a kiss.

8.  what is something you find uber sexy about your fiance?

ugh, i keep typing and erasing cos it's so hard to pick just one!  his hair.  yes, i'm going with his hair.  it's usually messy and a little robert pattinson-esque (but better).  it's all lush and thick and he always runs his fingers through it.  ya, his hair.

9.  what is it about me and/or my photography that you and your fiance are drawn to?  (please note: i swear i am not making an effort to flatter myself; i want to know what in particular that you're diggin' so i can take that, roll with it and make your experience that much better)

...

10.  what or what feeling(s) do you hope will be portrayed in your images to reflect your relationship?

i'm looking at this as if i was to have a photo shoot done of travis and i.. in that case my aim would be softness, romance, playfulness, humour.

11.  okay, just in case i was a sucky guesser, please verify what your favourite colour is:

white!

dear travis

to my dear husband,

this is a love letter of sorts, for no real reason in particular.  i am writing this on a day that is not our dating anniversary, not our wedding anniversary, not valentine's day, your birthday, nothing.. today is nothing.  it's just a day.  well, that's not entirely true.  according to the radio on my drive into work this morning, today is now being called "blue monday."  this being the third monday of every january, statistically proven to be the saddest day of the year (for reasons of dark wet weather, credit card bill arrivals from christmas, the fact that it's a monday).  funny, because our wedding day, june 20th, was statistically proven to be the happiest day of the year.  and oh, it was!  but today isn't the saddest.  maybe i'll take that back when we pay bills tonight (ha!) but right now, i am anything but sad.

travis, i am so happy to have known you and to keep getting to know you.  i am so happy to have loved you and to keep getting to love you.  sometimes - no, all the time, i think you're crazy and i can't help but laugh at you and all your weirdness.  it makes me want you and need you all the more.  you are the utter epitome of everything i desire to be.  you are the reason i laugh, that i have any smidgen of hope, faith, grace.  i want you to know, to really really know, that you better me.

if we've learned anything together it's that although we are not the real masters of our lives, we can and will love each other beyond our years on this earth.  in this world, so many things just don't make sense, so many things are unfair.  i absolutely dread the day when we are gone physically from one another.  i pray to anyone and anything listening that that day is eons away, that you and i will grow to be 1,002 years old together and simply just fade into another life together.  i can't imagine a me without you.  just trying to, makes this the saddest day.  but no matter what happens to our existance, always know that i am with you.  that i have loved you since we were seniors at our high schools, since the very first moment i saw you, skateboarding in your backwards hat and white beater.  know that i will never stop loving you.  and above all, remember that you were made to make me better.

all my love,
ashley

23 + white flaggin' it

once again blog, i've been neglectful to you.  it's a good thing you're not a puppy because you'd be awfully sad and skinny by now.  okay, you'd be down right dead by now.  perhaps i'll pick up the pace, but perhaps.. not.

i'm 23.  yup, just turned it.  shudder.  i've really become one of those women that DESPISE telling her age.  everyone around me laughs and/or groans and or shakes their head at my fear and sadness of being 23.  i hear you, i hear you, i'm "still young."  and deep down i know that but still, i can't shake the feeling that i'm supposed to be so much more, right here, right now, at 23.

we had a plan, travis and i.  such a solid plan i made a scrapbook of it as a gift to travis for our first year (dating) anniversary.  how do you make a scrapbook of the future, you ask?  I HAVE PSYCHIC POWERS.  bad ones.  but really, we mapped everything out.  right now, according to the scrapbook, we should have lived in africa already and currently be living in the country side. i should be a teacher, travis should be the owner of his own plumbing company, we should be going through the motions of adopting our first child, i should be skinny, smart, wonderful.  but.. none of that happened.  regardless of what the un-psychic scrapbook says, this is my life.  we haven't stepped foot in africa, we bought a reallyreeeeally old house that is determined to eat us alive, i dropped out half way through getting my english degree at ufv, i'm still working as my mom's assistant at the insurance office and travis is still working as a plumber for any company that has work.  oh, and i seemed to have gained weight.  again.

so, saying i'm 23, to me, is like waving the white flag of defeat.  it's like hearing a little nagging voice reminding me, "oh hey ash, you failed!"

i know i should stop my whining.  especially cos i can't say i'm 100% disappointed that everything didn't work out.  i don't want to be a teacher anymore, i don't want to be living in the country side (yet) and i don't want to have children (yet).  as much as i may want to kick myself for some of the choices i made or didn't make, i have learned a valuable lesson.. i am not in control.  we are not in control.  it's cliche (my apologies), but you have to play the cards you were dealt.  some get a crappy hand and it is what it is.  sometimes you make a crappy decision and it is what it is.  and just as life can change on a whim, so can our minds and what we want or thought we wanted.

i'm an over-achiever, ocd, type-a, annoying list maker.  of course i have a goal list for 2011.  OF COURSE I DO.  but this time i wrote it in pencil.  cos nothing is permanent.  and on that note, please send a little prayer for travis' grandma and grandpa right now.  although she was laughing with friends and playing cards last night, grandma schulz was suddenly admitted to emerg this morning in critical condition with pneumonia.  she is now in intensive care, in need of a complicated heart surgery.  and grandpa schulz needs all the strength and love he can get, too.

now this post has gotten just too long so here's a little teaser of my next blog post of our family mini-vacay.. TOFINO!

(ya, i wear fingerless gloves.  what!)

a new day, a new year

on the first day of 2010, slurpee, soda, travis and i explored the vedder river for eagles.  on the first day of 2011, soda, travis and i explored the agassiz wetlands.  we wished you were there every moment, slurp.

(click on a picture to see it all big and sexy.)