artist & athlete | a glimpse into real life, Heidi style | Artistic musings, business advice, and athletic endeavors, written through the lens of a highly educated mama who loves spreading joy.

January 9, 2015 · 4:24 pm

Winter photo projects

Winter projects are some of my favorites, as I take more risks. I have a little more time to learn and experiment when the weather is cold. 🙂 I haven’t done much work with paintings before, other than a couple gallery shoots. This beauty was taken for the cover of a client’s book that will be released soon. 🙂

I also worked on a special project for an author and fly tyer… Take a peek at this fly! I love it when my interests collide for work.

This little cutie turned one, and his parents wanted to play in the snow with me!

We were in the middle of a crazy snowstorm, but these guys were too much fun.

Thank you for braving the snow, Rumberg family! I had a blast. 🙂
That’s all for now 🙂 Thanks for reading!

Miles this year: 5.5 (I hope it warms up to above zero soon so I can get back to running!)

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January 8, 2015 · 4:31 pm

Noodleini race recap

When I woke up on Sunday morning, I felt okay. It was my fourth day of antibiotics for my ear infection, and the pain was gone, so I decided to run.
The Noodleini is one of my favorite races. It’s always the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and it’s a good reminder to not eat the whole pie.
Brian was my spectator today, and we headed out to De Pere right from his mom’s house, with a quick stop in Appleton for oatmeal and coffee. 🙂
We made it just in time, found a place to park, and walked in to the warm high school.

This race is notorious for having terribly cold, icy weather. The roads were a little slippery, but the temperature was hovering right around 30, so it felt like a heat wave. We all usually stay inside the school until right before the race starts, then we walk out together and start. Since it was warmer this year, people were slowly making their way outside. Brian and I walked out to the group near the start line, and I got my music ready. Classic Christmas music, in case you’re asking. Not exactly “pump me up” music, but very festive! I double checked my shoelaces. I heard a gun go off, so we all compressed toward the line, but I noticed that no one was running. I (mistakenly) assumed that they shot the gun to get everyone to come up to the start. I looked around, and thought, “Hmmm, I think I’m faster than these people, so I should move up closer to the front.” So I did. Then I noticed there were an awful lot of kids around, for a 15k. I know the race is a combined 15k and 5k, so I hoped they were running the 5k. I asked the stranger next to me if the races were combined, and she said, to my dismay, “Oh, no- the 15k runners left a few minutes ago.” Minutes? Oh, boy. I thanked her and took off running.
In last place.
Very last place.
There were a few turns in the first mile, so I literally couldn’t see a soul running ahead of me. That was a terrible feeling, and something out of my nightmares before my first race.
I thought, maybe I should just turn around and go home…
I do have an ear infection…
No one would blame me…
I’m not trying for a PR anyway…
I’ll have to race back to celebrate Thanksgiving lunch with my inlaws, maybe I should just go.

Of course, being the runner that I am (and yet to find a DNF next to my name), I pressed on.
I passed a few volunteers at crossroads who cheered me on. I shouted, “I’m late!” They replied, “You’ll get ’em!” I ran a little faster.

I passed the second to last person. And the third to last person. And then a dozen people. And a dozen more.
I stopped to take a picture that proves just how much Wisconsin loves the Packers.

I sent Brian a selfie halfway, to which he told me to slow down and take it easy.

He even cheered me on with a “That’s what she said” that made me LOL on the course.

I talked to everyone on the course, and thanked them for volunteering, and was thankful for a body that allows me to run.

I came around the corner at the finish smiling, as usual. 🙂 Brian was there, waiting and cheering.

I felt like a million bucks. It was the only race I’ve ever run where I wasn’t passed by a soul on the course, not even at the end.
We walked into the warm building, grabbed my chicken soup, and I started sneezing and coughing immediately.
A while ago, I posted about running races in weight-based classes. This is the only race that I run in Athena category, and I don’t really know why I chose this race to be the one. The only trophy that I have on my running shelf came from my second place Athena finish at this race a couple years ago.
Those of you who run with me know that I usually don’t wear my glasses. I walked over to the result tables, wondering where I’d placed. I definitely didn’t run a PR at this race, but I wondered what my official time was and where I’d placed. Of course, with no glasses, I couldn’t read the tiny writing. I asked Brian to come look, because I was in a hurry to head out so I’d have time to shower before lunch with everyone. He looked, and smiled at me, and told me we’d better stick around for the awards.

Seriously? No. Way. He must be kidding.

Turns out…

No kidding here. First place Athena. Amazing. The field was smaller than my age group- there were thirteen of us competing in this class, but I still took that trophy and smiled until my face hurt. I still can’t believe it. I never thought I’d win anything in a race.
I wish those haters could see me now.
All the kids who made fat jokes when I was at Riverside Elementary.
And the ones who laughed at me when I danced.
And my old self, the one who let herself get defeated when people teased her. If only I would have known that I’d turn things around. ❤

Then I went home, took a really fast shower, ate lunch with my inlaws, then ran back home for choir dress rehearsal.

Best day ever. The end. ❤

Miles this year: 4.5

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January 7, 2015 · 10:45 am

Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving. It’s the one time of year that I transform my home into a gourmet restaurant, bake beautiful pastries, and use chargers.

I had an ear infection, so I was feeling less than stellar, though I was on antibiotics and the good cough syrup. I was in no condition to run the turkey trot, though, so I was bummed. I moped around the house all morning, and was making breakfast when the runners ran right past my kitchen window. I focused on trying to relax, though we both worked all morning to clean the house and prepare it for dinner. I’d just finished hanging our rugs outside and mopping the floors, so we hopped in the shower. I came out, threw on leggings and a dress, and I heard a knock at the door. Brian was in the shower, so I answered, and it was my mother-in-law, an hour early! The floor was still wet and I was definitely not ready to receive. We made it work, though- and it was a very natural celebration. Natural is code for no-makeup-no-hair-no-nice-outfit, but casual can be good. I was so frazzled from starting the day like that, and I forgot to take a picture of the finished table! 😦 major bummer. Picture a big white tablecloth, gold chargers, white servingware, and glass candleholders with cranberries and white candles. Oh, and white cloth napkins. The food went over very well- Brian helped me with the turkey, and we had Grandma’s stuffing, Mom’s mashed potatoes, creamed corn, maple roasted Brussels sprouts, homemade cranberry sauce, gravy, Jean’s squash bake, a green salad, fresh rolls, and of course, my pie. I went with individual pies this year, and served them with cinnamon honey ice cream. Delicious! I also took my annual thanksgiving photo with Grampie…

I went shopping on Black Friday with Amy, per our tradition, and then headed over to the country to celebrate Thanksgiving with my inlaws. Saturday was with the Oberstadts, and I scored the best recipe for heavenly hash. Once I try it out, I’ll post it for you 🙂
I baked Saturday night for Thanksgiving with Brian’s brothers and their families. My famous pumpkin pie!

We went to bed early so I could rest- my ear infection was bothering me, and I was hoping to run the Noodleini. That story is up next! 🙂

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January 6, 2015 · 10:05 am

A Chicago trip + Amy’s bluegrassy visit

My Madison TU friend, Amy, was up in Wausau for work, so we met up here in Point for dinner and an impromptu bluegrass concert. The Fox Theatre needs a lot of work to be reopened, so we went to their fundraiser featuring some local bluegrass folks. It was held in the fine arts center on campus, where I spent thousands of hours. I love that place! We danced a ton and drank local beer. Best weeknight surprise yet!

Thanks for coming, Amy! It was great to catch up with you. 🙂
Lydia and I braved the fresh snow for a great run in Waupaca.

I came home, warmed up, and packed my bags for a couple days in Chicago. The running there was much warmer… There were still leaves blowing around!

My aunt, Maureen, and I went to a turkey raffle with her friends. It was a hoot!

We stopped for Chicago dogs at Gene & Jude’s. No ketchup allowed.

There were a couple guys eating on their tailgate who had a bottle of ~~contraband~~ ketchup that they shared for our fries. These folks don’t mess around! 🙂 I was so garlicky that it was coming out my pores while running the next day.
We came back to Maureen’s, and I was just finishing up work on my last wedding gallery of the season. I was almost ready to hunker down for the night, but my cousin Max, his beautiful girlfriend, Ashley, and their friend, Joe, came over. They convinced me to go out. I rarely regret going out, so Maureen loaned me a sweater dress and we rallied. We finished the night at a whiskey bar (my favorite!) and the girls were deemed shuffleboard champions after an obviously long winning streak.

On Sunday, we celebrated cousin Michael’s birthday, Blackhawks style, and I got to see my aunts and uncles, including my great aunt Eileen. She’s 91 and sharp as a tack!

I stopped to visit my dad on the way home, and started the week of Thanksgiving preparation!
As always, thanks for reading, friends.

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January 5, 2015 · 12:43 pm

I shot a rifle + our country trip for Lily’s baptism + Tiffany’s moving

I’ve known this pretty woman since first grade.

We went to elementary school together in the Gifted and Talented program at Riverside, and survived junior high school together, and thrived (though we made bad fashion choices) in Songspinners together at DCE High School. We even lived in dorms next to each other in college at UW-SP, and she helped me get my job at Starbucks. She met a super cute boy while serving coffee, and in a fairytale-esque story, they fell in love and got married. They just recently got a place in Carlsbad, CA, so they are moving far from home to the sunny West coast. I love it. They had a going away party in Appleton, so Brian and I headed over. We even found my friend (and birthday twin!), Ryan.

Congratulations, Clarks! We’re excited for you 🙂
We paired that trip with the sweet baptism of our niece, Lily, and stayed at my mother-in-law’s country house. For these purposes, I define “country” as being surrounded by corn fields on three sides. 🙂
Abbie and I went for a run while Brian sighted in his new rifle.

Brian was hard at work…

I took a shower, stretched out with Abbie, and came out to check on Brian. He’d left two bullets for me. I’ve never shot a rifle before, so he showed me all the parts. I liked the lever action, I felt like I was in a cowboy movie! He gave me ear protection, I lined everything up, and sloooooowwwwwwwly squeezed the trigger. The bullet fired. I screamed. It was loud! I hit the very edge of the target.

I didn’t want to do it again, but Brian convinced me to.
I lined it up. Shot the gun. Muffled my scream.
The middle is pretty good, right?

I think I look good with a gun.

Too bad I have pretty much no interest in killing an animal, though I’m really rethinking the food that I choose and why. This article that my friend, Kyle, shared with me is a good read- The Meat Eater Revolution.
I spent the rest of the day curled up on my mother-in-law’s couch, working on photos. It was a pretty relaxing and productive afternoon, and we cooked a beautiful dinner for the boys.
Sunday morning was the baptism. Lily is too sweet, and we just love her.

Brian is Lily’s godfather, so he had a little responsibility…

What an awesome weekend. 🙂 Thanks for reading, friends!

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January 4, 2015 · 12:35 pm

A restaurant + a barbershop

Two awesome shoots this week… starting with Sconni’s up in Wausau.

They are known for their blackberry old fashioned. Beautiful!

They also make a flatbread that screams “Wisconsin” since it has cheese curds on it.

They’re an ale house with a very cool ambiance and delicious food. It was a fun (and delicious!) shoot. 🙂

I also had a shoot at the Chop Shop- a new car-themed barber shop in Plover.

I don’t even need to caption these- this place was awesome. It even had a little car as the child seat! I made an appointment for Brian while I was there. 🙂

The cold weather has arrived, and Abbie has lost all desire to play outside.

Even with the cold, we ventured out to hear our friend Ryan play a faculty jazz piano recital. We love jazz, and it’s awesome to hear a friend play so well. 🙂

Congratulations, Ryan!
Carmel and I didn’t let the cold stop us either, and we headed out on the Green Circle.

I’ll leave you with a little field trip. I headed over to Green Bay to see “Flies, Films, and Foam.” It was sponsored by Tight Lines Fly Co., and was a highlight reel of our favorite F3T segments over the past years. I even saw some of my favorite Wisconsin TU women, and all the proceeds of the event went to help with TU work projects. A win-win!

That’s all for now…

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January 3, 2015 · 12:10 pm

More cute families + a very sexy bassist

The Romatowski family. A chilly day + two very energetic boys = mountain climbing fun on Rib Mountain.

I love working with families. I have the opportunity to sneak a peek into the lives of some amazing parents and get the chance to win over the little cuties in an hour. How awesome is that?
I also worked with some repeat clients- the Schurk family. So. Cute.

See? Even though it was chilly, the kids were all such troopers.

And now… A total 180… To a gorgeous bass player.

Meet Jenilee. This stunner was preparing for her bass recital, so we met up for some promo photos for her recital posters. How lucky am I?

That’s all my adventures for this week, friends. As always, thanks for reading!

Miles this year: 2.5

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January 2, 2015 · 2:52 pm

Happy New Year + trying to catch up

My regular readers will certainly recognize that I’m a little behind. As we all cozy in for our below zero wind chills here in Wisconsin, fall portraits feel like they were taken an eternity ago. Thanks for bearing with me as I try to catch up. Go easy on me for the photo-heavy posts for the next week or so as I bring us up to date 🙂
When I left you last, I was writing about my new tattoo and spending my fall days with families. I also started a very part-time office gig…

…when I was in my walking boot last year, I started physical therapy on my foot at Point Forward. I love that place. They think I ~~have a fun personality and a good work ethic~~ I’m crazy, so they asked me if I’d be available and willing to train in their scheduling/insurance/reception position, so I could fill in when their ~~normal~~ awesome scheduler was going to be gone to Mexico on vacation. I underestimated the things I’d need to learn, including HIPAA and individual insurance company policies. In any event, after the training, they asked if I’d be willing to help them out when things get busy, and that started in October. I only spend four or five hours hours total a week there, on Monday and Wednesday, and it gives me no excuse for skipping my workouts, since the clinic is inside of my health club. 🙂 I’m learning more about the human body than I ever thought I would! I love helping out over there, and it hasn’t been too hard to schedule work around those hours.
I’ve still been running like crazy- Carmel and Lydia and I met up at Iverson since we hadn’t been there in a while.

I went to a special yoga class for breast cancer survivors, and dedicated my practice to my best friend’s mom, Marilyn. ❤

I met my mom and her fiancé, Bill, up at Rib Mountain for their engagement portraits. We had such a wonderful time, and seeing my mom smile with love is just too adorable.

We spent Halloween with our friends in Madison. Brian pondered his list of mustache-y costumes and finally decided on cowboy. I took advantage of my Cheesehead beliefs and went as a mousetrap.

Thanks for hosting us, Amanda and Andy! We had to run off the next day to shoot the Leave a Legacy fundraiser for Trinity Lutheran school. We set up our gear and took photos of couples that look like this…

We donated a portion of the proceeds back to the school, and had a lot of fun being our own light testers. 🙂 yay for a self-timed portrait!
My Stratus and I have reached a big milestone in our adventures…

Oh boy, I hope my car makes it through another year!
Carmel and I ran with pups…

…and I’ll leave you with a very fun photo shoot at Bull Falls.

I really love working with beer and breweries. 🙂 such gorgeous subjects!
Bull Falls recently finished a big expansion. The street sign in the middle of their new facility is where the road used to run through.

It always makes me so happy to see local small businesses growing and expanding! #buylocal

Thanks for reading, friends!

My total 2014 mileage was 597.2. Starting 2015 goals now! 🙂

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January 1, 2015 · 9:00 am

My new tattoo + cute families

I started the week with a trip to Wausau for my eighth tally mark. For my new-ish readers, I get a new tally Mark to commemorate each marathon.

I also had the pleasure to work with two families. I met the Blaubach family up on Rib Mountain for their fall family shoot.

I’ve known this beautiful momma, Becki, since we were in kindergarten. It’s so sweet to watch her be a busy mom to her three kids!

My next family was local- so I met them over at the very popular Iverson Park.

This was a combination family portrait session and mini senior session. Miguel is such a handsome young man!

Thanks for the opportunity to work with you, Blaubach and Zarazua families!
I love my job. ❤
I went to lunch at Emy J's and ran into this beautiful woman.

What a surprise! Hi, Katie!
I was sufficiently creeped out when I got my voter report card…

…I know that this is all public information, but it still feels weird.
I will leave you with a shameless photo of Abbie looking like a walrus. ❤

As always, thanks for reading, friends!

Miles this year: 518.1

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December 31, 2014 · 10:30 am

Disco Cures Cancer 2014 + Becky and Trav

I made it home from my Minnesota/Iowa trip on Friday afternoon, charged all my batteries and set up my camera gear, then threw on a shift dress, lots of makeup, big hair, and headed up to Disco Cures Cancer in Wausau with my dance partner, Dale. We met up with some of our dance students, and we had an awesome time!

I didn’t stay out too late, since I had a big day on Saturday- Becky and Travis’ wedding! Dancing shook out the last of my sore marathon legs, and I slept wonderfully.
Saturday morning, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed…

Now, I know that I should narrow these photos down, but I just can’t. Becky and Trav are just too cute, and these photos are so genuine… So please, grab a big cup of coffee or glass of wine and hunker down. Enjoy!