Birthday Treat

I turned 30 today.  There, I said it.

Actually, I've had a countdown calendar in the works ever since I turned 29.  See you later 20s. Goodbye hipsters. Thank goodness I never have to be tied down to the same age-group as you people.  Yes, I said you people.

I'm 30. Rather than treating it as death or an early mid-life crisis, I merely see it as a Wednesday.

A damn, good Wednesday.

Instead of getting all sad and sappy about turning 30 I'm ready to party. I'm truly happy that I'm 30. People have looked at me and said, "bullshit, you're sad about turning 30."

I don't understand what in the world they are talking about. I know who am I, I know what makes me tick, and most importantly I know who I want in my life for the good times and the bad.  I've got the big pieces of the puzzle figured out and I plan on spending the next 70 years or so re-arranging the details.

So with that being said, here's my gift to you:

The treats: a little capsule collection of things I got in NY at IFB Con.

NYX Illuminator // Desktop-mega-phone from Poppin // personal pocket datebook from POST // 2013 notebook from POST // Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel DVD // ghd oval dressing brush // Model Co "Berry Pink" lip gloss // assorted hair ties from Twistband, Inc (MADE IN THE USA BABY!!!!) // pink iphone 4/4s case by Boostcase Hybrid // fuzzy hat from MailChimp

To Enter: (All entries must be submitted by 11:59pm ET 2/27)

Follow me on Twitter.

Follow me on Instagram.

Then just leave me a comment with your Twitter and Instagram usernames.  If you're feeling wordy, let me know if you are/were excited/scared to turn 30.

For additional entries:

Tweet about the giveaway! Just leave an additional comment with your tweet. 

Good Luck! 

Winner! Winner! Camera Strap Dinner?

And we have a Two Pink Hearts Camera Strap winner! 

Marie - you should have an email in your inbox from me! 

400th Post: DSLR Camera Strap Cover from Two Pink Hearts Giveaway

Source

The first time I did a photoshoot with my 24-70mm f/2.8L lens I was left with a bruise from having the camera dangling around my neck for a few hours.  The lens itself weighs just over 2lbs and while that doesn't sound like a lot of weight please ask yourself if you've ever worn a necklace that heavy for a few hours?  I know my ears hurt after a night of wearing massive earrings, so it only makes sense that a heavy camera would cause a bit of neck pain.

Fast forward a few months and I did a one-year old session for a friend's little girl.  My friend is a fellow Canon lover and she noticed that my favorite lens was really heavy.  I actually joked with her that she should hint to my husband that I needed a padded camera strap cover.  After spending more than my monthly mortgage payment on a camera lens I was on camera expenses lockdown, which meant I couldn't buy myself a strap cover.  I swear to goodness I wasn't suggesting she buy me one, but  instead of suggesting to the hubs that he buy me a strap cover she went a head and bought me one as a thanks for taking her daughter's pictures.  

That lovely gray, chevron-striped, padded strap cover has been on my Canon ever since it arrived in the mail.  I'm completely smitten with it because it works!  I haven't had a moment of neck pain or bruising since I started using that strap cover.  It has a great pocket that holds a standard lens cap or a few extra memory cards.  My 50mm 1.4 lens cap fits in the pocket perfectly. 

I started this ol' blog way back in July of 2008 and I'd like to point out that my second post ever was obsessing over some Kate Spade shoes... clearly things haven't changed that much.  I still don't have a central focus on this blog, as it grows with me, but I do know that photography has always been a key aspect of it.  My own photography skills have greatly improved since then, but let's be honest, they could only go up!  It pains me to no end that the images above were taken with a cell phone, but I only own one DSLR (for now!) and I lent my point-and-shoot to my brother-in-law months ago and haven't seen it since.  

As a thank you I wanted to gift one reader with their own padded camera strap cover from Two Pink Hearts.  They're handmade in Virginia and are available in a variety of adorable fabrics.  Even if you don't have a SLR camera these strap covers would make a great gift for the upcoming holidays for someone that does have a SLR.  Honestly, I'm thinking about getting my dad one as a stocking stuffer.  

How do you win one?  Piece of cake - just become a blog follower on Google Friend Connect and leave me a comment on this post before 7am on November 12th.   Let me know which padded camera strap cover you'd like to pick up and leave an email address so I can let you know if you're the winner.

You can leave an additional comment as an entry if you follow me on Twitter (jax_and_jewels) or Pinterest.  Just let me know your Twitter and/or Pinterest name so I can follow you back! 

Also, a big THANK YOU to everyone who voted for my pictures on Katie Evan's Octoberfest contest. I'm still giddy because my ferris wheel picture received the most votes.  Thanks for your votes and for spreading the word.