About Me

 {BASICS}

My name is Kaycee, though family and friends call me one of three things: Yiya (a family nickname that has stuck for 21+ years), Wee (courtesy of my husband) or Kayc. I'm 23, I live in mid-Michigan and I married Andy on June 27th, 2009 on our 3.5 year anniversary. We live in an adorable cerulean blue Craftsman bungalow with our small herd of animals... Four dogs and four cats. Yes, we are crazy but hand-to-heart, if I came across an animal that needed a home, I would absolutely take in another. I work in the financials department for a branch of the county government and to say it leaves my creativity a little lacking would be an understatement. To combat that, I draw, I knit (or I poorly try to at least!), I take pictures and now... I blog!

{THE PHOTOGRAPHY}

My love of photography extends further than the notion that putting a baby in a basket or handing a giant prop to a family and snapping away could make someone a few bucks. I don't pretend to own a business, I don't pretend I'm a professional but I DO take pictures because it's something I love. There is a photojournalistic approach to how I shoot. I'm not really the kind of person to wait for and/or try to create the perfect pose. The little quirks in a photograph, to me, are what makes it perfect and some of my favorite pictures that I've taken capture moments and feelings that you couldn't pose if you tried.  On any given day I shoot with:

*A Nikon D90

*A Nikon F100 (35mm)

*A Mamiya 645 PRO (medium format, 120) or

*A Yashica Mat-124 (medium format, waist-level viewfinder, 120).

Since Andy's father gifted us an amazing all-in-one photo printer, scanner and copier as our main gift for Christmas 2010, I'll finally be able to scan and upload some of my film work!

{NAMES YOU'LL SEE}

ANDY: Andy is my husband. We've been together since December 2005 and were married in June 2009. We met and fell in love when I was 18, got engaged and bought a house when I was 19, and made it "official" when I was 21. Yes, I'm well aware we were young. ;) He is one of my absolute best friends on this planet, along with my mother and brother (Ronnie). He makes me laugh more than I anyone I know and, since we've lived together, he comes to "tuck me in" each night. We cuddle and talk until I fall asleep and it's heavenly. I wish a love like this to everyone.

SHIRLEY: You'll see her referred to as "My mom," for obvious reasons. ;) She's where I get my love of animals from, she's where I get my sense of humor from, she's where I get my looks from... Hell, I'm pretty much her clone. Andy jokes that when he looks at her, he sees what I'll look like at 50. It makes her laugh when he says he's good with that, LOL. She also works for the county government (though in a different department). If I ever needed someone for anything at anytime, it would be my mom. I am so thankful for the relationship we have.

RONNIE&NICK: These stinkers are my brothers. Ronnie is 21 and Nick is 11. Ronnie and I are only 18 months apart and, while a lot of siblings don't get along, I have no clue where I'd be without him. He's so smart, so funny and so nice. Nick is my little buddy. My parents divorced when I was young, my dad remarried and Nick was born in 1999. The marriage didn't last but I'm sure it only happened to gift our family with Nick. He loves Star Wars and knows his way around video game systems better than anybody.

RON&KATHY&TAB: Ron is my dad, Kathy is my step-mom and Tab is my step-sister. My dad is the most outdoorsy outdoorsman you'll ever meet. He loves to hunt, fish, camp... If it's outside, it's a hobby of his. He was incredibly lucky and able to retire in 2009 at age 50! Kathy is the definition of a family-woman. Everything she does is for the family and we all appreciate it more than she knows! She loves to knit and crochet. Some of the stuff she has made me should seriously be sold in stores. Tabby is your typical teenage girl. She likes boys and music... She also rides horses and dominates every competition she's in.

FRANK&SADIE&CHASE&MABEL: Easy enough -- they're my dogs. :) Frank is a goldendoodle, Sadie and Chase are siblings and we have no clue what breeds they are, Mabel is a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen. They're all rescues.

{THINGS I LOVE}

I love Nikon. I may or may not be uberly judgmental if you shoot with anything else. Just kidding. Or am I? I love film grain, I love black and white photos and I love taking pictures of nature. Like it says above, clouds are my favorite. 

I love the Red Wings. I feel like I came out of my mom's vagina rooting for the 'D and hope my kids do the same. I love Zetterberg, though I think you need to know that he's been my favorite long before he was well known. My mom had to have a jersey custom made with his name because he was so new that stores weren't selling any. That's how far back my love goes, babies. I also love Franzen and Helm. I love the stinky old seats at the Joe Lou and I love staying at the Atheneum and taking the shuttle over for a game.

I love squirrels. Really, I do. I also love buffalo and goats. I'm the person that will not kill bugs. I will grab a cup and a plate to scoop up a really disgusting looking spider before I smush him. I've also been known to rescue lady bugs from toilets.

I love food. I realize that's incredibly vague but anything else is just too specific. Favorites include green olives, sharp cheddar cheese, banana nut bread and taco dip. Food Network is one of my favorite channels and I love watching Paula Deen.

I love all things detail-oriented. I keep a lot of lists and try to be as specific as possible about *everything* and keep notebooks everywhere just in case I need to write something down.

I love vintage art. I'm constantly browsing the internet in search of great vintage ads for my collection. I have an insane amount of prints for my living room. I'm too ashamed to give you the exact amount. Let's just say over 20.

I love Chicago. I am OBSESSED. Andy and I go every year for our anniversary and I never want to leave. The Allerton Hotel on the Magnificent Mile makes my art deco-loving heart so happy. And the Spaghetti Pomodoro from Capi's on the pier is the best. If you don't go to Pizzeria Uno or Due and want to stuff your mouth until you just can't breathe anymore, something is wrong with you.

I love the Beatles, especially George Harrison. Favorite songs include Martha My Dear, For You Blue (duh, look at the first half of my blog name!) and Old Brown Shoe. I went to a Paul McCartney concert for my 18th birthday (AMAZING gift from my mother) and was blown away. If you want some younger eye candy to ogle while still listening to some amazing music, check into George's son Dhani's band, Fistful of Mercy. SO GOOD!

I love shopping. Andy calls me a grandma for it but cardigans are my favorite. The courthouse has no sense of what heat is and without a sweater, you're bound to become hypothermic. For that reason, Old Navy is my BFF. Especially when they have 50% off their clearance section. Mama likey. My most recent obsession is TOMS shoes. The Gilded Herringbones have become a wardrobe staple and I can't wait to get more.

I love babies... Their rubberband wrists and chubby cheekers melt my heart. Not to mention the ADORABLE clothes and sarcastic onesies I see everywhere. I die. I just can't wait to be a cloth-diapering mama.

{A FEW QUIRKY FACTS}

I don't eat or drink anything blue. It grosses me out and I won't do it. The more comfortable I am with someone, the more likely I am to talk like a child to them. I'm really picky about what parts of food I'll eat... Don't put me in charge of chopping up lettuce for salad because it'll be days before it's ready. I'm obsessed with American History and 1770 to 1870 is my absolute favorite century as it covers the Revolution AND Civil War (/end history nerd-out). My all time favorite TV show? How I Met Your Mother. And my favorite character? Marshall. Growing up, the majority of my friends were guys. Now? Almost all girls. My life will not be complete until I have a pet squirrel. My favorite play is Tartuffe, written by Moliere. I could re-read it a million times and never tire of it.