young love :)

My baby sister is getting married June 2010. Numerous tries to connect for an engagement photo shoot have failed, so instead, we 'practiced' in my parents' backyard. They are quite the photogenic couple. Half of the photos we took probably could've passed as their actual engagement photos, save for the baseball shirt Josh was wearing that day. Ah well, all in due time. I still had fun. I love these kids. :) Hopefully the real shots will be coming soon...

Laura & Josh, Take 1:


much love to you both | your big sister and sister-in-law-to-be :)

sneak peek!

My first portrait session! I was so excited for the opportunity to take photos of my cousin's children this past weekend. What better way to spend a beautiful afternoon than trekking through a park taking some photos?! I will admit, I had no plan ... but that may have worked in my favor as I followed them around. Bret is a wonderful and patient older brother to Madi and Kacy, and proved to be a huge help. And Kacy seemed to enjoy being a model for the day, which was fine with me!

Success!! Three smiling faces, eyes open, and looking at the camera! What a beautiful family!

Clearly these girls look up to their big brother ... No bribery was involved in getting this photo of Kacy laying a kiss on Bret's cheek. I think we caught him by surprise, but what an extravagant moment.One of my favorite shots from the day ... Kacy took Madi's hand to wander after the ducks. Another extravagant moment, made that much cuter by the matching dresses.

This was one of those pictures that was actually an accident. I took a couple practice shots off the bridge while brainstorming how to begin, and Kacy wandered into the shot. And I love it...

I mentioned in a previous post that I've always thought children are the purest form of joy, and I think this sweet face is proof...

Aww - thanks guys!
I had a blast and hope you did as well!! | much love, sara

railroads and fire hydrants

The Fox River has taken its share of beatings in the last century. Appleton, a city of paper mills and factories, has spilled its waste into the water for years. But cleanup efforts and riverfront development projects have helped to restore the river as a place of beauty and legitimate attraction. It seems every time I find myself near the river, I become fascinated with a newly discovered treasure. Near Lawrence University in downtown Appleton, this section of railroad fascinated me for days, before I finally decided to walk along the ties with my camera to explore. This section of old railroad is never used. In fact, the ties and tracks no longer exist once you cross the river. All that remains is this short, bridged section ... and for whatever reason captivates me in its simple, historic extravagance.

It also reminds me of Craig's favorite quote, by Robert Frost ...
[...] I took the road less traveled by, and it has made all the difference.
I practically tripped over this fire hydrant. The chipped paint caught my eye, and after getting this nice closeup, and stripping out all of the color except for orange in photoshop, what you have left is this:

puppies and pure love

Our neighbors recently brought home a tiny Chihuahua puppy they named Broc. Because of their schedules, Craig and I happily agreed to let him out at lunch every day during the week in an effort to get him housetrained and to let him run off some steam mid-day. It is the joy I get from my hour with Broc every day that inspired this next post.

I have always believed that dogs - and children - are the purest form of joy and unconditional love. They are not jaded by politics, religion, race or opinion. Their tails and whole bodies wiggle with excitement and fervor upon returning home, regardless of the length time spent away. A day spent away at work, a trip to the grocery store or just a trip to the garage to put something away will all be met by a wiggling body that is glad to see you again.

The simple pleasures make for a good life - the daily walk, a tennis ball or favorite squeaky toy, the occassional treat and a soft bed. But most importantly, simply your presence and the touch of your hand. And in return for these things, you receive a constant and loyal companion. How beautifully extravagant. | much love, sara

Little Broc, on one of our afternoon picnic lunches, entertaining me:

My baby, Titan, who brought me so much joy for many years ...

He took my heart and ran with it, and I hope he's running still, fast and strong, a piece of my heart bound up with his forever...

I watch my dogs. They throw themselves into everything they do; even their sleeping is wholehearted. They aren't waiting for a better tomorrow, or looking back at their glory days. Following their example, I'm trying to stick to the present. ~Abigail Thomas

close-ups, photoshop & extravagance

I recently discovered the magic that is all wrapped up in a package called Photoshop CS4. Hello, new obsession. Editing photos now goes way beyond converting to black-and-white or cropping into a square instead of a rectangle. I do realize that the program has been around for ages and has been mastered by countless numbers of people and photographers, but as a newbie, I am finding great joy in watching my images take on new shapes, forms, colors and interpretations. I can turn the simple into the abstract, the abstract into just plain weird. Click on the image to blow it up if you need to... I hope you think it's as fun as I do. | much love, sara

This gerbera daisy was a table centerpiece at a restaurant we visited for my dad's birthday. Sometimes all you need is a close-up view to turn the plain into extravagant:
Another close-up, with a quote that is a recent favorite of myself and Craig. From the book The Power of Intention, by Dr. Wayne Dyer:
I was walking through a park in the middle of downtown Appleton when I saw this little guy. A small patch of flowers had been planted next to a chain link fence. The best part about searching for extravagance is that you sometimes find it in the most unexpected places:
The power of Photoshop ... I took this picture of my Grandpa Roggenbauer at a picnic this spring. I completely underexposed it; it turned out much too dark and I thought I had missed a great opportunity. But I messed around with it a little in the editing program and it turned out to be a pretty unique image. You have to stare at it a second to figure out what you're looking at, but I happen to love it. What do you think?

in loving memory

On June 13, the Soley family (my mom's side) gathered at the Soley farmhouse for cleaning after the passing of Grandpa. I think he would have been proud of all of us that day -- We worked hard, we worked together. We remembered. We laughed. We were family.

Here are a few of the day's extravagant moments...

Laura & mom model mom's '76 Adams-Friendship letter jacket:

Nate models some sweet '70s-style clothing:


In loving memory of Gordon Soley | 1919-2009

[...] And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed. [Maya Angelou | When great trees fall]

TO VIEW A SLIDESHOW OF MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS DAY,
CLICK HERE

this small extravagance

Welcome to my first post on my new blog!

First, why that name? ~ this small extravagance ~
Well, I like to think I'm clever, and I'd like to think I cleverly came up with a play on words. I'll explain...

"Extravagance" comes from the day Craig and I were married -- I know, let's all say awwwww. If I could draw a heart here I would. :)

On our wedding day, our pastor gave us a word that we were to assign to our marriage and seek to fulfill as a couple and as a partnership. That word was "extravagance." She challenged us to find the extravagant beauty in all things -- in our marriage, in our love, in our family and friends, and in the small things we often take for granted. If it is possible to find extravagance in a smile from a stranger, a phone call from a friend or the random flower that blooms on the side of the house when you didn't plant anything there, then it is possible to learn to live a life of abundant love. How thoroughly empowering.

"Small" is where the play on words comes in. By definition, "extravagant" is anything but small. First of all, the word is 4 syllables long. I think it earns you 22 points in a game of scrabble. You'll find words like "excessive" or "unrestrained" listed under it in a thesaurus.

But even the smallest of things can have the most extravagant impact if you look hard enough. Or, more importantly, if you assign it a meaning that makes it extravagant.

So I think that's where this blog will come in. I like to write. I like to take pictures. I am on a quest to find extravagance in my life. Sometimes the pictures I take have a story. Sometimes they don't ... in which case, I may or may not just make one up. :) Either way, I hope you enjoy.

Feel free to make requests or comment. And please please please forward this to anyone you think might be interested in seeing what's on here. I am always working to improve and what better motivation than to put these out for you to view and (hopefully!) invoke a response.

much love,
sara