Up To...

Lest you worry that the delinquency of my posting is due to lack of photographic activity or having fallen off the earth, I recently decided to revive Umbrella Love not only by picking up posting again, but by giving you an overview of what I've been up to since I left you (yikes) last October. There's something about having my busiest month yet that's given me the energy and the motivation to juggle everything else I've been neglecting, too.


First of all, the horribly rainy and cold spring has finally given way to early summer around here, and the world is unfurling. It's lovely.



(Can you spot the four-leaf clover? It's there.)


A gift from Tyler - fresh radishes from his front yard garden. We have not yet managed to get our butts in gear for our own garden. I fear it may be too late for most veggies.



In addition to the work I've been up to lately (see the deluge of new posts below), I've been working on two "personal" projects - one of documenting people in my neighborhood over time, sitting around on front porches drinking beer and shooting the shit. Most folks know me pretty well by now, and are getting more comfortable with me having my camera with me. It's been fun, and a challenge. Below is my 3-year-old friend Kyle Louis W.


The other thing I'm working on is putting together a city guide for Design*Sponge, my absolutely favorite daily blog reading. I ambitiously set out to photograph each of the places I'm listing - a rather long list, let me tell you - even though they only run 3 or 4 photos, the idea being that I'd link to my own more photo-driven version. I'm still going for it - but man, it's taking a while! There are such great businesses here in Durham, many of them with unique and creative design.


Bryan and Erin from Ox & Rabbit, the nicest people you could hope for. They got engaged in Boston (!) this winter, and are getting married near Asheville this August. I adore their shop with it's great selection and yummy soda fountain.


So, here's to being back. And here's to summer, with its (hopefully) continually busy workload and plenty of afternoons to sit around on porches, drinking and talking with neighbors and friends in the delicious North Carolina heat.