Becoming a photographer has brought some of my best friends into my life. Ever since picking up my camera, I have been surrounded by insanely talented people who I feel humbled for being invited into their beautifully creative and full lives. Who knew that something that chained me to my computer for hours upon hours on end would actually add to my social life?

The photography world is a teeny tiny one with the degrees of separation between photographers across the country being nothing but an instant message away. So insert Jodie Allen, who invited me to be in a little online group of photographers who happen to be moms too. (I didn’t take this photo. I actually have never met Jodie in real life.)

Then I got to meet other great photographers (online) such as Kim Weiss, Tami Proffitt, Lyndsay Stradtner, Bridget Smith. It’s hard to keep up with all the emails sometime, but it’s so great to hear the inside stories of these women and discuss the ups and downs of having your own photography business. The photography world definitely has it’s “cool kids” and I suppose even the occasional “Mean girl.” (Yes, it can feel like high school sometime.) So it’s nice to be invited to sit at a nice big lunch table full of like minded and friendly people. I’m honored to have been invited into their group.

We all support each other when our families are sick, but still have deadlines and shoots to do and still get dinner on the table (or order pizza.) We share ideas and rejoice in each other’s successes. Oh, and how did I meet Jodie? Well, when she was one of the winners of the Professional Photographer Magazine’s Fresh Blog winners, I commented, saying hi and the next thing I know, we were online friends.

Well, this past Christmas our little group did a secret santa exchange with each other. Jodie had me and she did not disappoint in the creativity department. She thought of the BEST GIFT I could imagine giving a mom. She got our baby sitter’s phone number from my husband and called her to arrange for FIVE HOURS of babysitting. Wow! Talk about an awesome and fun surprise! (And very ecological!)

So I finally cashed in on those five hours today when my babysitter was off school for MLK day. (Thank you GOD for a babysitter that would work on a vacation day!) Then I got to go hang out with one of my best friends, who is also a photographer, Gail.

We started out at the Peony Tea House where for two hours we sat and ate delicious little sandwiches, salads, a whole pot of tea and a plate of the most delicious desserts accompanied by home made jams and custards. It was HEAVEN. Fort Wayne people, you have GOT to go and have one of their Edwardian lunches. Give yourself plenty of time though, to enjoy all the mini courses.

Then we went to my studio space to brainstorm some decorating ideas. When you are in the middle of putting together a studio space, it’s pretty overwhelming. I can’t tell you how helpful it is to have a friend with such great taste come in and help direct my focus a bit. I’m really excited about the ideas we started brewing.

Then we headed to the mall to do a little bit of shopping and embarrassingly, I bought the SAME pair of earrings I wore in all of 2009, but had just recently lost. Shame on me for being in such an earring rut, but hey, I love ’em, so they are back. (Embarrassingly enough, I just realized I may have had them in 2008 too….Ok, someone RESCUE me from my earring rut!!!)

On the way home, we did a quick hop outside to take some photos to keep our trigger fingers limber and get some winter profile pics. Here’s a fun one of Gail in a hat she just bought today. How adorable is she?

All of my friends are awesome, but today, I just had to send a shout out to my ladies with a camera.