Happy Birthday!

Today is the birthday of my very special Niece, Mary Claire! My, how she's grown up over the years...


Happy Birthday, Mary Claire! Love, Aunt Buhlissa (and Uncle Bobby, too!)

Happy {Belated}

This song goes out to two very special people...

(Cue: "They Say It's Your Birthday" and cheesy wedding DJ voice)

Happy 26th birthday to my sister, Christina and my brother-in-law, AJ! I totally missed your birthdays on here last week. They are, however, quite easy to remember, as they are only three days apart! You're lucky you are married because I don't think I have any pictures of you two individually! (Bean, don't kill me for putting this picture up!) This was only a few short weeks before CW and AJ tied the knot back in 2006!

Anyhow... happy birthday and just a small reminder that you'll ALWAYS be older than me :) Just remember that when we're old and gray!

Hello Baby: Check it out!

Do you love babies? You need to check this one out over at my Photog Blog. Here's just a sneak peek:

Where in the World?

Ok, so I have a very good reason for not blogging lately. Trust me, it's a good reason.

Bobby and I bought a house on Sunday!!! We have been talking a whole other language over the past few days filled with cabinets, contracts, and colors, oh my! More details to follow, but for now... here's a little slice of our American Dream (minus the white picket fence) on now UN-available Lot #30!! House to be completed by Mid-August!

Lots of Love,

Home Skillett & Small Fry (a.k.a. The Barrick's)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

It's finally here!!! Remember back since October I had been promising you a new Photography website? Well, it's finally here! With the help of a very talented Mr. Zane Perry, my new Photography Blog/Website has arrived! It's bigger, it's better and it's just beautiful!
I will no longer be updating on my old photography blog as I have completely moved over to my new blog.
Don't worry, I will still be posting on The Barrick Times with my personal schtuff!

BUT! Before you run over in excitement to my new site... I'm offering a Website Opening Special!

If you book a session with me TODAY through Tuesday, March 31, I will give you $20 worth of prints from your session for FREE!!! Book fast because is only good until March 31!

So, ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I announce the Grand Opening of my new Photo Blog:
www.MelissaBarrickPhotography.com

Thanks for stickin' with me. I love you guys!

Crash and Burn

I didn't make it...

My blogging marathon didn't even go more than four days. However, I give myself an "A" for effort, because my life isn't all that interesting. It's been cold and rainy and therefore, I haven't been able to get outside and take any pictures. I partially blame you, readers, as another reason I failed so miserably on my blogging marathon. When I needed your encouragement the most, were you there cheering me on? I don't think so.

I'm not really serious... I'm just making myself feel better for being a quitter.

So, since I have no new photos to show you, I will be starting "Random Photo Sunday" where I will be digging into the depths of my hard drive to find pictures that have no relation to anything, I just happen to like them. So here you go... what do you think? This picture was taken right outside of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD this past summer. It makes me want to sit in these chairs and eat an ice cream cone. Perhaps I'm just longing for warm weather.



I hope everyone has a great week!

Back in the 70's

Since I've been getting into Photography, I frequently look to the ever-famous Pioneer Woman for guidance. Although she claims not to be a professional photographer, the woman has some talent! Especially for breaking down Photoshop for those of us who can't figure some things out. If you haven't been there, take a look. It's entertaining AND helpful if you're totally lost with Photoshop.

So today's picture is brought to you by my husband Bobby and a Pioneer Woman action. This is my new favorite action as I used it almost exclusively when I shot this party a few weeks ago, and I'm loving the applications to pictures of children. It makes me feel like I'm back in the 70's with a nice, slightly tacky Polaroid shot (just ignore the fact that I was born in the mid-80's). The rustic charm of the characteristics is probably more exciting than the picture itself, but I wanted to share it with you today. Since, you know, today is now FOUR days in a row that I've been able to come up with a blog! Like I said, Bobby took this picture of me riding my brand new bike in OCMD last Spring. Remember the infamous rash story?

Also, if you haven't already checked it out, I've applied the 70's action to a picture of one of my beautiful nieces on my Photography Site...I think it tops my list as one of my new favorite pictures!

Downeaster Alexa

Have you ever heard that song? Billy Joel wrote it. I have had a music crush on Billy Joel since Bobby and I went to his concert last summer for our anniversary. My favorite song? Downeaster Alexa. I'm not sure why exactly, but I think Bobby has learned to love it too. Here's the story:

Every morning for the past year and a half, I cannot seem to be pleasant in the morning. I just don't like to talk. This gets me into trouble now, because I'm married and I have to share my mornings with another person. Being grumpy or quiet gets me no where with a husband who likes to be playful in the morning. To remedy my grumpiness and his need for talking in the morning, he created a play list on my iphone for us to listen to while getting ready for work. Most of the songs were, of course, Billy Joel and some other late 70's music I love for some reason. So as the playlist is running down, it gets to my favorite song, Downeaster Alexa. I can hardly contain myself as I sit there curling my eyelashes, so I finally burst out into sing along with Billy and "mock" play the piano when the beat so calls for it. I must have scared Bobby half to death as he's hardly heard a peep out of me before 7:30 a.m. for almost two years.

And still, almost every morning, he plays me my Downeaster Alexa song just so he can laugh and be playful with me in the morning.

How is this related to anything? Well, it's not. But every time I'm crossing over a bridge, that silly song pops into my head and I cannot contain myself... I just have to sing. So, for your listening and viewing pleasure, I've added the Downeaster Alexa song to my playlist on here so it will get stuck in your heads. AND here's a picture of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge that I took while taking photos of Baby Aidan.



P.S. I've blogged three days in a row on The Barrick Times. I think I am going to make a challenge for myself to blog every day for a week. If I haven't eliminated all of my readers by the end of this week, God Bless You. Do you think I can make it?

SOMD Represents!

Who said that there weren't any jobs out there? Come to sunny (or not so sunny) California and fulfill your career's dreams! P.S. One of my friends is the cute girl with the short black hair! Way to represent, Pax River!

Southern Maryland Sunset

I have lived in Maryland my whole life. My childhood winters were spent in anxiety as we were always at the mercy of the weather man. No snow dances or awkward pajama wearing rituals would ever have an influence over what our local weather people would say. Would schools be canceled due to an astounding 4 inches of predicted snow? Would we have an "unseasonably warm" winter day of 60 degrees? We were in limbo, I tell you!

Well, nothing much has changed. Although I've since moved south of the state (and a little bit closer to the mouth of the Chesapeake), the Maryland weather has never ceased to fool its inhabitants...and its weather men. Only seven short days ago, the radios and TVs were buzzing with news that a huge snow storm was headed our way. Children everywhere, and even our Killian, turned their pajamas inside out in anticipation that schools would be canceled the next day. Lo and behold, Maryland got our snow. At least for SOMD, this was the first accumulation of wintry weather we've had all year! Schools were shut down and the world was quiet...except for my loving husband who was up at 5:30 a.m. shoveling out our cars so we could still get to work on time. How sweet.

We both made it to work, on time - no less, but I was about the only one. The roads were terrible and on my short, 25 MPH drive to work, I longed for the days when schools were closed, and that the rule would still apply to me. Welcome to the real world, huh?

Not two days later, our silly weathermen were calling for Summer-like weather for the weekend! How preposterous! The snow hadn't melted at ALL and schools were called off for the better part of the week. Without fail, Friday's weather was a whopping 65 degrees...and climbing. The windows came open and our cat was feeling his oats. He's spent the entire weekend lounging on our Adirondack Chairs on our porch. BUT, for those of you who wish we had more of a winter, you're not to worry...this coming weekend, the weather is supposed to be back down to 35 degrees and freezing rain.

So, my dear friends, as they say up in "Bawlmre" (That's Baltimore-speak for "Baltimore"), if you don't like the weather here, just wait five minutes.

Think that barn up top looks familiar? Well, it's my favorite barn down here and here's what it looks like during the late summer.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

From The Barrick Times

20 points to whoever can name the TV show this blog title came from...

Well, last night and most of today, SOMD got its wish! SNOW! I honestly can't remember the last time we had this much accumulation. Here in So. Cal. we got about a foot of snow! Although work wasn't canceled, I was proud to sport my Target "Uggs" to work today to prove that Melissa Barrick is capable of wearing something other than heels to work!

From The Barrick Times

From The Barrick Times

Anyway, the snow started Sunday afternoon and fell until about 2 p.m. this afternoon. We let Killian outside and he had no idea what to expect! He actually wanted to stay out there for a while, despite the cold on his poor bare feet! I half attempted to go outside and take pictures on Sunday afternoon, but about 5 minutes into my outdoors-y photo shoot, it started pouring freezing rain, NOT snow. Two pictures and five minutes later, I got right back into the Jeep and went home. Regardless, today was spent marveling over the beauty of the snow and watching our pathetic cat watch for birds in the snow outside.

From The Barrick Times

From The Barrick Times

Also, you may have noticed that my pictures are bigger!!! I have been doing a lot of playing around with both of my blogs these past few days to really tailor to your viewing pleasure. I'm still getting the hang of it, so please have patience with me!

From The Barrick Times

From The Barrick Times